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Based on the Fugitive Slave Act, it was a felony to assist a runaway slave to escape. Rewards were set for anyone capturing runaway slaves. Even judges received an award to convict slaves for running away from their owners. Lincoln had pledged to enforce this Federal law. However, in many Northern states, the law was ignored. There were cases of abuse. For example, a freed Black man, never a slave, might or could be "captured" and sent back to a supposed "owner". The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850 as part the 1850 Missouri Compromise. It was very unpopular in the North. Enforcement was rare.

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What were some of the worst dangers and challenges that runaway slaves faced?

death or bad injuries


What was a conductor with the underground railroad?

Since the underground railroad wasn't a real railroad, but a method for slaves to escape north there wasn't a conductor. Some times people like Harriet Tubman would lead people, but many times they were just told what the next stop was until they got north.


What were push and pull factors causing African Americans to move north?

A pull factor that brought African Americans to the north was freedom. The south was being run and build on the backs of slaves and many African Americans wanted to be free. Many took to escaping using the Underground Railroad to reach the north. However, some were found and brought back.


Was Frederick Douglass a part of the underground railroad?

I'm not sure but he was a abolitionist after escaping to the North. People actually listened to him because he had been a slave. does that help? He also was a verrry important man


Why was the route taken by escaping slaves called the under ground railroad?

i think it might be so the public dident see them cause they might of not known or they could of been revulting for the people to see and they dident want to see them or the owner could be keeping them illegaly Well... First of all the Underground Railroad was not underground or a railroad. Slaves gave it that name to trick the whites. Slave traveled through the "Underground Railroad" because they wanted to escape slaery without being caught. Some slaves were caught, but there were thousands that weren't.

Related Questions

Why do some of the routes in the underground railroad point to the north?

Canada, which is north of the United States, was a good destination for escaping slaves. Canada did not return escaped slaves to their former owners.


What were some of the worst dangers and challenges that runaway slaves faced?

death or bad injuries


Why do you think some people opened their home to escaping slaves?

Some individuals opened their homes to escaping slaves out of a sense of moral obligation, empathy, or a belief in the immorality of slavery. Others may have done so as an act of resistance against unjust laws or to support the abolitionist movement.


What was a conductor with the underground railroad?

Since the underground railroad wasn't a real railroad, but a method for slaves to escape north there wasn't a conductor. Some times people like Harriet Tubman would lead people, but many times they were just told what the next stop was until they got north.


What were some of the worst dangers and challenges runaway slaves faced?

Hunters and people catching them and being killed.


Who punished the slaves who got caught escaping?

Slave owners or overseers typically punished slaves who were caught escaping. Punishments could range from physical abuse, such as whipping or branding, to being sold to a harsher master. Additionally, some slave codes allowed for further punishment by the legal system.


Why did some slaves go back to the plantation after escaping?

Some slaves may have returned to the plantation because they lacked resources to survive on their own, feared punishment or retribution from their owners, or felt a sense of loyalty to their families still on the plantation. Additionally, escaping did not guarantee safety as fugitive slaves were at risk of capture by slave catchers.


How did an exaping slave know how to get to the north if heshe had never been of the plantation or slave home?

Escaping slaves often relied on word-of-mouth knowledge passed on by other escaped slaves or sympathetic individuals, including details about directions, landmarks, and safe houses to navigate the journey to the north. Some also used the North Star as a guide, as it consistently indicated true north and helped them stay on course. Additionally, abolitionists and conductors on the Underground Railroad provided support and assistance to fleeing slaves, helping them find their way to freedom.


What are some of the places that the slaves settled in in the north?

Cleveland is one


What were push and pull factors causing African Americans to move north?

A pull factor that brought African Americans to the north was freedom. The south was being run and build on the backs of slaves and many African Americans wanted to be free. Many took to escaping using the Underground Railroad to reach the north. However, some were found and brought back.


How slaves tried to free themselves?

Slaves attempted to free themselves through methods such as escaping, revolting against their captors, seeking assistance from allies or abolitionists, and participating in underground railroad networks to reach freedom in the North or in Canada. These actions were often dangerous and required great courage, but many slaves were willing to risk their lives for the chance to attain freedom.


How did they help the slaves in the underground railroad?

Because slavery was legal throughout the U.S. and runaway slaves found anywhere were legally supposed to be returned to their owner. The underground railroad, run by abolitionists, gave them transportation and places to hide while they were on the run.