Underground Railroad Timeline

The Underground Railroad: 1850-54

The Underground Railroad: 1857-60

The Underground Railroad: 1861-65

The Underground Railroad: 1846-49

The Underground Railroad: 1831-35

The Underground Railroad: 1820-22

The Underground Railroad: 1800-08

1846-48

1850

1820

1861-1865

1857

Late 1700s - Early 1800s

A Timeline of...

The Fugitive Slave Act was passed.

Famous Laws: Fugitive Slave Act

The Fugitive Slave Act was passed to keep slave owners from losing a lot of money. It stated that runaway slaves were to be turned in as soon as they were spotted. Underground Railroad workers broke that law every day.

The Mexican/American War occurs over a fight for new land.

1831

The Missouri Compromise was passed.

The Underground Railroad: Today

The Civil War occurs over the issue of slavery and the seceding states.

The Dred Scott Decision is made, affecting thousands of African Americans.

The Underground Railroad begins freeing slaves.

The Underground Railroad

Slave revolt in Virginia led by Nat Turner.

1852

1847

Famous People: Nat Turner

Nat Turner was a very religious person. His rebellion in 1831 turned out to be big and bloody. When he hid from officials in a swamp, a hunter accidentally came across him and turned him in.

Famous Things: The North Star

The North Star newspaper was created by Frederick Douglass in 1847. The goal of the newspaper was to promote the idea of freedom.

Famous Laws: The Missouri Compromise

The Missouri Compromise stated that slavery was illegal north of latitude line 36/30. This helped the Underground Railroad succeed in freeing slaves.

1863

Famous Laws: Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in the areas that the United States controlled. This didn't do much though, because there weren't many slaves in these areas.

1808

By Heather Willmott

Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It showed people the horrors of slavery.

1860

1835

Frederick Douglass starts the North Star newspaper.

1822

Famous Laws: Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott went before the court when his master tried to take him back into slavery after he had been living with his master in the north for several years. The Supreme Court made him go back to the south and stated that no African American could be granted citizenship in America.

Abraham Lincoln gives the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves.

Events of 1808

When the United States banned slave trade from foreign countries, it helped the Underground Railroad. Without new slaves coming in, they could get the slaves already in the US to freedom and make a bigger impact on the south.

The United States bans slave trade from foreign countries. This helped the Underground Railroad make a lot of progress in freeing slaves.

Abraham Lincoln is elected president.

States start seceding from the Union.

1854

The south forbids anti-slavery activities in the south. This is later known as a censorship.

What was it?

1849

1865

Slave revolt lead by Denmark Vessey in South Carolina.

Famous People: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was a conductor on the underground railroad. In 1849, she ran away from her master in fear that she would be sold. She eventually became a part of the Underground Railroad in 1851.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed.

Famous Laws: Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854 to help decide whether or not to allow slavery in new states. States took polls to decide in the issue.

The Remains

The Civil War ends, which abolishes slavery all over the country.

Harriet Tubman escapes slavery and decides to help slaves reach freedom.

Events of 1860

Abraham Lincoln believed in freedom for all. Slave owners started worrying about losing their slaves, so they started seceding from the Union. This led to the start of the Civil War.

Famous People: Denmark Vessey

Denmark Vessey was a former slave who purchased his freedom on 1800. In 1822, he planned an uprising in South Carolina. Sadly, his plans were given away and the uprising failed. He was arrested and hung for it.

The Underground Railroad was a system that helped slaves run away from their masters. It was named "The Underground Railroad" after trains because slave owners would say that their slaves were gone as fast as if they had hopped on a train. The people running it spoke in code and risked their lives to help the runaways. In the end, thousands of slaves made it to freedom. This timeline shows the major events that happened in association with the Underground Railroad. To learn, go on...

Today, the Underground Railroad is a big part of our history. It lead to the end of slavery and contributed to many historical events. Although the system is not used today, many of the Underground Railroad sites are still here and they are open to the public. This system that shaped the history of our nation will always be remembered.