What were the Underground Railroad secret code words?

What were the Underground Railroad secret code words?

The code words often used on the Underground Railroad were: “tracks” (routes fixed by abolitionist sympathizers); “stations” or “depots” (hiding places); “conductors” (guides on the Underground Railroad); “agents” (sympathizers who helped the slaves connect to the Railroad); “station masters” (those who hid slaves in …

What grade do you learn about the Underground Railroad?

Using Game-Play to Explore History with Students in Grades 6-10. An interactive journey from National Geographic.

What were some signals on the Underground Railroad?

Certain Songs were sung as symbols of Underground Railway members. “All Clear” was conveyed in safe houses using a lighted lantern in a certain place as this symbol. Knocks on doors used a coded series of taps as symbols of identity. Certain items, such as a quilt, were hung on a clothesline.

What does the code word liberty lines mean?

Other code words for slaves included “freight,” “passengers,” “parcels,” and “bundles.” Liberty Lines – The routes followed by slaves to freedom were called “liberty lines” or “freedom trails.” Routes were kept secret and seldom discussed by slaves even after their escape.

Why do you think it was called the Underground Railroad?

(Actual underground railroads did not exist until 1863.) According to John Rankin, “It was so called because they who took passage on it disappeared from public view as really as if they had gone into the ground. After the fugitive slaves entered a depot on that road no trace of them could be found.

How did Harriet Tubman find out about the Underground Railroad?

The Underground Railroad and Siblings Tubman first encountered the Underground Railroad when she used it to escape slavery herself in 1849. Following a bout of illness and the death of her owner, Tubman decided to escape slavery in Maryland for Philadelphia.

Why were coded communications important to the success of the Underground Railroad?

Communication and secrecy were key to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad. Both fugitive slaves and members of the Underground Railroad learned to code and decode hidden messages, and to disguise signs to avoid capture. There were code names for routes and code numbers for towns.

Why did they call it underground railroad?

Why were code words used on the Underground Railroad?

Code words would be used in letters to “agents” so that if they were intercepted they could not be caught. Underground Railroad code was also used in songs sung by slaves to communicate among each other without their masters being aware. These are the most commonly used code words and their meanings:

How does the Underground Railroad help students meet standards?

The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery helps students meet the following standards sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Reading Association (IRA). Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves,…

How did slaves communicate on the Underground Railroad?

Underground Railroad code was also used in songs sung by slaves to communicate among each other without their masters being aware. Coordinator, who plotted courses of escape and made contacts. Fugitive slaves carried by Underground Railroad workers.

What did the quilts on the Underground Railroad mean?

Using the Underground Railroad Quilts. Different patterns on the quilts could give messages to slaves on the run. For instance, the pattern of “log cabin” meant that the house was a safe house. The pattern of “drunkard’s path” meant that a runaway slave should take an indirect route as word had reached the house that the slave was being pursued.