CONTENTS CHAPTER I Sources of the History of the Underground Railroad PAGE The Underground Road as a subject for research 1 Obscurity of the subject 2 Books dealing with the subject 2 Magazine articles on the Underground Railroad 5 Newspaper articles on the subject 6 Scarcity of contemporaneous documents 7 Reminiscences the chief source 11 The value of reminiscences illustrated 12 CHAPTER II Origin and Growth of the Underground Road Conditions under which the Underground Road originated 17 The disappearance of slavery from the Northern states 17 Early provisions for the return of fugitive slaves 19 The fugitive slave clause in the Ordinance of 1787 20 The fugitive slave clause in the United States Constitution 20 The Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 21 The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 22 Desire for freedom among the slaves 25 Knowledge of Canada among the slaves 27 Some local factors in the origin of the underground movement 30 The development of the movement in eastern Pennsylvania, in New Jersey, and in New York 33 The development of the movement in the New England states 36 The development of the movement in the West 37 The naming of the Road 44 [xvi]CHAPTER III The Methods of the Underground Railroad Penalties for aiding fugitive slaves 47 Social contempt suffered by abolitionists 48 Espionage practised upon abolitionists 50 Rewards for the capture of fugitives and the kidnapping of abolitionists 52 Devices to secure secrecy 54 Service at night 54 Methods of communication 56 Methods of conveyance 59 Zigzag and variable routes 61 Places of concealment 62 Disguises 64 Informality of management 67 Colored and white agents 69 City vigilance committees 70 Supplies for fugitives 76 Transportation of fugitives by rail 78 Transportation of fugitives by water 81 Rescue of fugitives under arrest 83 CHAPTER IV Underground Agents, Station-Keepers, or Conductors Underground agents, station-keepers, or conductors 87 Their hospitality 87 Their principles 89 Their nationality 90 Their church connections 93 Their party affinities 99 Their local standing 101 Prosecutions of underground operators 101 Defensive League of Freedom proposed 103 Persons of prominence among underground helpers 104 [xvii]CHAPTER V Study of the Map of the Underground Railroad System Geographical extent of underground lines 113 Location and distribution of stations 114 Southern routes 116 Lines of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York 120 Routes of the New England states 128 Lines within the old Northwest Territory 134 Noteworthy features of the general map 139 Complex routes 141 Broken lines and isolated place names 141 River routes 142 Routes by rail 142 Routes by sea 144 Terminal stations 145 Lines of lake travel 147 Canadian ports 148 CHAPTER VI Abduction of Slaves from the South Aversion among underground helpers to abduction of slaves 150 Abductions by negroes living along the northern border of the slave states 151 Abductions by Canadian refugees 152