Becky Reichuber

10/11/2015
Composition 1

The Underground Railroad played a major role in the south during slavery as
a way for slaves to escape to freedom. Over the course of the slave era something
around 100,000 slaves escaped to freedom using this method. They would have
safe houses and conductors along the way who could help guide a slave to
freedom safely. One important leader of the Underground Railroad in Kansas was
John Brown, who also famously tried to start a liberation movement among slaves in
the 1800s. He was considered a terrorist and religious zealot at the time, but his
actions in the Underground Railroad saved many, and his goals were always
valuable.
There wasnt as much need for Underground Railroad stations in Kansas as in
other areas because Kansas was admitted into the United States as a free state in
1861. Before this there were efforts to help slaves in the territory out, or to move
people through the state, but compared to more deep southern states it wasnt as
important in Kansas.