Run Away Slaves and Harriet Tubman

Around the 1800's, The United States put a pan that prohibited the importation  of slaves. Which was really not enforced due to the demand on slaves on plantations in the south. But around this time the northern United States didn't really need slaves because the soil in the north was not very good. So really there no need of slaves and quit a few  African Americans were free in the north. In fact most northern states outlawed slavery. So when an escaped slave left you knew where he/she were headed. But in the 1850's a women named Harriet Tubman ( an escaped slaver herself) began to help slaves escape and head north. This was called the underground railroad. In its peak around the 1850's she helped transport run away slaves to the north. The masters of the run away slaves would post sighs

 that offered rewards like this one below...

They would offer from ranges of just 50 dollars cash to 500 dollars depending on the amount of slaves. Now Harriet Tubman never lost one person in the underground railroad. Even when congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 which made Unionists in the north aid southerners in the south to help catch their run away slave. Even with the act Tubman contained to help run away slaves, but this time farther up north in Canada where slavery was illegal. Her code name was " Moses" which fit well because in the Bible Moses led the Jews to the promised land as did Harriet Tubman who led slaves to their own promised land whether it was in the northern states or in Canada.



http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html
http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/IH023838/wanted-poster-for-runaway-slave This is the link of the photo