Discover the Secrets: Top 10 Astonishing Fun Facts About the Underground Railroad Revealed

1. The Hogwarts Express of History

Despite not being Hogwarts Express bound for Platform 9¾, the Underground Railroad sure had its fair share of secrets, mysteries, and yes, some magical elements too: A covert network of abolitionists, disguised in the shadows, who used coded signals and secret messages to guide slaves towards safe havens and freedom, with the help of conductors who knew the route as well as any Potions Master would know about Wolfsbane.
Source => pbs.org

2. Celestial GPS: The North Star

Talk about a heavenly GPS: Escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad relied on the North Star as a celestial guide to freedom. Located by spotting the Big Dipper, this sparkling roadmap in the sky was a lifeline passed down through generations, enabling many to safely navigate their way up north, with some even using tricks like posing as free sailors or forging papers to further avoid suspicion.
Source => nps.gov

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3. Abolitionist B&Bs

In a world where "home is where the heart is" took on a whole new meaning, a few courageous Americans dabbled in the bed-and-breakfast industry with a twist: The Underground Railroad safe houses were owned by passionate abolitionists like John Brown and Levi Coffin, who risked their freedom to help runaway slaves find shelter and assistance, all while stopping at places like the Todd House in Iowa and the George Hitchcock House in Kansas on their thrilling journey to liberty.
Source => marissaweidnerharriettubman.weebly.com

4. Harriet Tubman: Escape Room Champion

Hold on to your hats, folks, this lady's the OG escape room champion: Harriet Tubman, also known as "Moses," made around 13 daring trips back to Maryland between 1850 and 1860, personally guiding about 60-70 family members and other enslaved individuals through the Underground Railroad to freedom. In addition to her epic live-action role-playing, she'd also send detailed instructions to another 44 slaves, setting them on their path to liberation. As if being a real-life superheroine wasn't enough, Harriet continued her quest for black freedom as a nurse, scout, spy for the Union Army, and eventually aimed to transform her property into an "Old Folk's Home," passing away in 1913 at the place of her dreams, the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged Negroes in New York.
Source => blogs.loc.gov

5. Runaway Bride with a Gun

When Harriet Tubman wasn't busy being a runaway bride or playing dress-up games: She made 19 bold trips in disguise as a male conductor to the South, rescuing over 70 enslaved people—including family members and her husband—while brandishing a gun. All without losing a single "passenger" on her daring freedom train!
Source => pbs.org

6. Quilting: Grandma Spies

Quilting: not just for grandmas, but spies too! Unraveling a mystery that would make any crime podcast aficionado swoon, legends suggest quilts with specific patterns were potentially codes for enslaved people on the Underground Railroad: The truth of these quilt codes is still up for debate, with scholars and quilt enthusiasts going stitch-for-stitch in their arguments, but the idea continues to inspire modern quilters like Sharon Tindall, who weave hope and freedom into every thread.
Source => folklife.si.edu

7. Freedom Ships & Superhero Captains

All aboard the "Freedom Express," where captains turn into superheroes and schooners transform into underground ships of liberty: The Underground Railroad used "Freedom Ships" to smuggle fugitive slaves across the Great Lakes, with brave captains like the one on the schooner Home playing a vital role in helping stowaways reach freedom in Canada.
Source => research.lib.buffalo.edu

8. Moses: The Daring Rescuer

Like an escape room champion without the Yelp reviews: Harriet Tubman, nicknamed "Moses," made 13 daring rescue missions on the Underground Railroad, freeing around 70 slaves and amassing a staggering $40,000 bounty on her head for her audacious and heroic actions.
Source => thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

9. Ocean Blue Highways to Freedom

Ships ahoy! Who needs GPS and sneaky, secret routes when fugitive slaves had the ocean blue as their highways to freedom: The Maritime Underground Railroad saw southern ships and their crewmembers, both black and white, secretly whisking slaves away to northern free states, with some white captains daringly carrying over a dozen slaves at a time on their freedom-loving vessels.
Source => womenhistoryblog.com

10. Songs and Stars: Pre-GPS Navigation

Before GPS and Google Maps, there were songs and stars, baby: "Follow The Drinking Gourd," a hit single of the Underground Railroad era, disguised crucial escape instructions in its catchy lyrics, with the drinking gourd referring to the Big Dipper constellation that leads to Polaris, the north star, guiding slaves to freedom, and the first line setting the ideal escape season during spring.
Source => medium.com