THE DUPAGE DEMOCRAT SALUTES THE HISTORY OF THE ‘UNDERGROUND RAILROAD’

The Underground Railroad was perhaps the most dramatic protest action against slavery in United States history. It was a clandestine operation that began during the colonial period, later became part of organized abolitionist activity in the 19th century, and reached its peak in the period 1830 - 1865. The story of the Underground Railroad is one of individual sacrifice and heroism in the efforts of enslaved people to reach freedom from bondage.

The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes by which African slaves in the 19th century United States attempted to escape to free states, or as far north as Canada, with the aid of abolitionists. Other routes led to Mexico or overseas. One network came through DuPage County.

It's estimated that at its height between 1810 and 1850, between 30,000 and 100,000 people escaped enslavement via the Underground Railroad, though U.S. Census figures only account for 6,000. The Underground Railroad has captured public imagination as a symbol of freedom, and figures prominently in Black American history.

The structure escape network was "underground" in the sense of underground resistance, but was seldom literally subterranean. The Underground Railroad consisted of clandestine routes, transportation, meeting points, safe houses and other havens, and assistance maintained by abolitionist sympathizers.

Although sometimes the fugitives travelled on real railways, the primary means of transportation were on foot or by wagon. Because of the risk of discovery, information about routes and safe havens was passed along by word of mouth. Southern newspapers of the day often were filled with pages of notices soliciting information about escaped slaves and offering sizable rewards for their capture and return. Professional bounty hunters pursued fugitives even as far as Canada.

The Underground Railroad developed its own jargon or terminology, which continued the railway metaphor:

• People who helped slaves find the railroad were "agents."
• Guides were known as "conductors."
• Hiding places were "stations."
• "Stationmasters" would hide slaves in their homes.
• Escaped slaves were referred to as "passengers" or "cargo."
• Slaves would obtain a "ticket."
• The secret password for the Underground Railroad was "A friend of a friend". It is commonly confused with "A friend with friends".

William Still, often called "The Father of the Underground Railroad," helped hundreds of slaves to escape (as many as 60 slaves a month), sometimes hiding them in his Philadelphia home. He kept careful records, including short biographies of the people, that contained frequent railway metaphors. Still maintained correspondence with many of them, often acting as a middleman in communications between escaped slaves and those left behind. He then published these accounts in the book The Underground Railroad in 1872.

The legal and political ramifications of the Underground Railroad were profound. It was a major cause of friction between the North and South. Many northerners sympathized with those who helped to deliver slaves to safety. For many years, southerners pushed for strong laws to force the recapture of runaway slaves. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 was the first law passed by the U.S. Congress to address the issue of escaped slaves in free states; and in 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which mandated the capture of fugitive slaves. This prevented runaways from settling legally in free states, forcing them to escape into Canada and other British colonies. The law also provided an impetus for the growth of Underground Railroad routes through free states such as Ohio. During the same period, a series of unsuccessful slave rebellions led to retaliatory violence by vigilantes against innocent slaves, which increased the numbers of runaways heading North.

When frictions between North and South culminated in the American Civil War, many blacks, slave and free, fought with the Union Army. Following the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, in some cases the Underground Railroad operated in reverse as fugitives returned to the United States.

“BUSH WAR” KILLED REACH 2,577.

On May 1, 2003 President Bush landed onboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to declared that major combat operations in Iraq were over. Since then, 2,440 Americans have died in Iraq. There have been 2,577 total American casualties as of June 30, 2006. There have been 2,112 deaths since the capture of Saddam. Also, there have been 1,711 deaths since the handover of power. 1,141 have died since the Iraq election on January 31, 2005. 18,988 American soldiers have been wounded. Other coalition forces have suffered 227 casualties. Experts believe the war may have killed 44,185 Iraqi citizens. (Source: DOD, CentCom and Lunaville).

NO MEETING IN AUGUST

There will not be a meeting of the DuPage Democratic Club during August. The next meeting of the DuPage Democratic Club will be on September 14^th.

Please have a safe and wonderful summer and visit the Democratic booth at the Illinois State Fair August 11 to 20.

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