History glossary
Underground Railroad
networks of people and routes that helped enslaved people escape toward freedom.
- Category
- Resistance network
- Region
- United States
- Date range
- Early 1800s-1860s
What it means
The Underground Railroad was not a single railroad but a network of Black and white abolitionists, safe houses, routes, and local communities that helped enslaved people flee slavery. It became more urgent after the Fugitive Slave Act strengthened capture efforts.
