![]() Runaway slaves generally came from the upper South and were mostly skilled males without families. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 - federal legislation that allowed slave hunters to capture an escapee in any territory or state with only oral proof that the person was a runaway - increased tensions between North and South, thereby moving the country closer to war. The railroad led the slaves to freedom in the northern free states, Canada, Mexico, the western territories, and the Caribbean.Īlthough Quakers started this anti-slavery movement in the 1780s, the Underground Railroad became legendary after the 1830s, when abolitionists and other sympathizers began helping slaves escape to freedom. Also called the Liberty Line, this loosely organized system was neither "underground" nor a "railroad." Rather, it was a network of escape routes that originated in the southern slave states in the period of American history that led up to the Civil War. Owen W.The Underground Railroad was an informal escape network that helped fugitive slaves reach freedom. Meeting with director-by appointment only The director of the Underground Railroad Center at Knox College is Owen W. Knox has created exhibits on the history of the Underground Railroad in the region and is gathering and preserving documents about the Underground Railroad. This designation recognizes the Galesburg station's program as making a significant contribution to the understanding of the Underground Railroad in American history. The Galesburg Colony Underground Railroad Freedom Station was recognized in 2006 by the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The national center is developing a network of sites in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, devoted to research and education about the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery movements. Knox joins a nationwide network of more than 60 stations, with Underground Railroad heritage, that are affiliated with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. ![]() Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, has been designated a "Freedom Station" by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Galesburg Colony Underground Railroad Freedom Station at Knox College The anti-slavery influence and Underground Railroad involvement of many Galesburg citizens gradually affected numerous people and communities in a wide circle surrounding the college town. Though other down-state communities could lay claim to significant anti-slavery and Underground Railroad involvement, what made Galesburg unique was the fact that the overwhelming majority of its citizens, for the first 20 years of its existence, were opposed to the institution of slavery. The town and College, from their inception, were perceived as most likely the leading down-state center of abolitionism and Underground Railroad activity in Illinois. Galesburg and Knox College, located in West Central Illinois, were founded in 1837 by anti-slavery advocates who came to Knox County from upstate New York. Anti-slavery organizations and Underground Railroad activities were the first integrated social movements in American history. The Underground Railroad was an informal network of people who helped thousands of African-American slaves escape to freedom.
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