The Underground Railroad “The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad, but a...

The Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad

“The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad, but a secretnetwork of safe houses and antislavery activists - black, white, and Native American - who helped slaves escape to freedom.”

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=584&display_order=7&sub_display_order=24&mini_id=1071

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htm

• 1. What was the Underground Railroad?1. What was the Underground Railroad?• 2. Who was Harriet Tubman, and why is this 2. Who was Harriet Tubman, and why is this

former slave important? former slave important? • 3. About how many slaves did Harriet lead to 3. About how many slaves did Harriet lead to

freedom?freedom?• 4. Why did so many slaves want to go to 4. Why did so many slaves want to go to

Canada and not to the north of USA where Canada and not to the north of USA where there was no slavery?there was no slavery?

• 5. What challenges did the freed slaves face in 5. What challenges did the freed slaves face in Canada?Canada?

• 6. A slave from Louisiana using the 6. A slave from Louisiana using the Underground Railroad to escape would travel Underground Railroad to escape would travel through which states?through which states?

Winter, Jeanette.(1989). Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York;

Dragonfly Books

RESOURCES ABOUT RESOURCES ABOUT The Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad

• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/

• http://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lessohttp://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad/Map.htmn/socstud/railroad/Map.htm

• http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/ht1.hthttp://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/ht1.htmm

• http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/underhttp://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/undergroundrr/story.htmlgroundrr/story.html

• http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/activists/tubman/rail_1cgi/aa/activists/tubman/rail_1

More RESOURCES ABOUT More RESOURCES ABOUT The Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad

• http://undergroundrr.kennett.net/http://undergroundrr.kennett.net/

• http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/wehttp://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/webquests/underground/default.htmbquests/underground/default.htm

• http://pathways.thinkport.org/about/http://pathways.thinkport.org/about/

• http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/gourd2.htmlgourd2.html

Slaves were forbidden toSlaves were forbidden to read and read and write, they had to communicatewrite, they had to communicate their feelings in ways that would not their feelings in ways that would not be obvious to their masters. One way be obvious to their masters. One way was through song. was through song.

Music was a way of communicationMusic was a way of communication

GO DOWN, MOSESGO DOWN, MOSES

Let my people go!

Follow the Drinking GourdFollow the Drinking Gourd

Winter, Jeanette.(1989). Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York; Dragonfly Books

Follow the drinking gourd,Follow the drinking gourd,Follow the drinking gourd,Follow the drinking gourd,For the old man is waitingFor the old man is waitingfor to carry you to freedomfor to carry you to freedomIf you follow the drinking gourd. If you follow the drinking gourd.

The riverbank will make a very good road,The riverbank will make a very good road,The dead trees show you the way.The dead trees show you the way.Left foot, peg foot traveling on,Left foot, peg foot traveling on,Following the drinking gourd. Following the drinking gourd.

The river ends between two hills,The river ends between two hills,Follow the drinking gourd,Follow the drinking gourd,There's another river on the other side,There's another river on the other side,Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd.

When the great big river meets the little river,When the great big river meets the little river,Follow the drinking gourd.Follow the drinking gourd.For the old man is waitingFor the old man is waitingfor to carry you to freedomfor to carry you to freedomIf you follow the drinking gourd. If you follow the drinking gourd.

• Follow the drinking gourd!Follow the drinking gourd!Follow the drinking gourd.Follow the drinking gourd.For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedomfreedomIf you follow the drinking gourd.If you follow the drinking gourd.

• When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,Follow the drinking gourd, Follow the drinking gourd, For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedomfreedomIf you follow the drinking gourd.If you follow the drinking gourd.

• The riverbank makes a very good road,The riverbank makes a very good road,The dead trees will show you the way,The dead trees will show you the way,Left foot, peg foot traveling on,Left foot, peg foot traveling on,Following the drinking gourd.Following the drinking gourd.

• The river ends between two hills,The river ends between two hills,Follow the drinking gourd,Follow the drinking gourd,There's another river on the other side,There's another river on the other side,Follow the drinking gourd.Follow the drinking gourd.

• Where the great big river meets the little river,Where the great big river meets the little river,Follow the drinking gourd,Follow the drinking gourd,The old man is awaiting for to carry you to The old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedomfreedomIf you follow the drinking gourdIf you follow the drinking gourdhttp://zorak.monmouth

.edu/~afam/go_down_moses.htm

• 1. What theme did many of the songs 1. What theme did many of the songs have in common? have in common? 

• 2. What purpose did some of the slave 2. What purpose did some of the slave songs serve?songs serve?

• 3. Read the lyrics to 3. Read the lyrics to Follow the Drinking Follow the Drinking GourdGourd and and Go Down Moses.Go Down Moses.  What is the   What is the significance of the words in these songs? significance of the words in these songs? 

Copyright © 2007 by Janette Gonzalez Reference LibrarianLibrary Media Specialist

ResourcesResources• Conklin, Joe, Wayne Elliott, Kris Myers, and Lucky Abu. (1999). . (1999). Suggested

games, poem, songs and activities for for elementary and secondary students and teachers. Monmouth University, NJ. Retrieved on June 2007 from  http://zorak.monmouth.edu/~afam/activities1.html

• Encyclopedia: Lincoln, Abraham. (2004). The History Channel website. Retrieved on June 10, 2007 from http://www.historychannel.com/thcsearch/thc_resourcedetail.do?encyc_id=214843.

• Shull, Carol. ( ). . ( ). Aboard the Underground Railroad National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the National Conference of State Historic. Retrieved on June 10, 2007 from . Retrieved on June 10, 2007 from http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htm http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htm

• Winter, Jeanette.(1989). Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York;

Dragonfly Books