The Underground Railroad was a system thathelped African American slaves escape to freedom. Using the Underground Railroad was illegal, so map songs were created. The term Underground Railroad referred to the entire system, which consisted of many routes called lines.
The individuals who aided runaway slaves escape toward freedom were called conductors, and the slaves were referred to as cargo. The safe houses used as hiding places along the lines of the Underground Railroad were called stations. A lit lantern hung outside would identify these stations.
Harriet Tubman used the underground railroad to escape safely. Later she made 19 trips and became a conductor of the Underground Railroad and freed 300 other slaves using music Negro Spirituals with coded messages as a communication strategy.
