Underground Railroad

From slavery to freedom

Start

Credits

In the first part of your adventure,click on the globe to go back to the map.

To lead the runaway slaves to freedom, you'll have to look everywhere,solve clues and move things. Good luck!

You can use wordreference if you don't understand a word.

next

Your mission

Follow the journey of a slave from Africa to freedom. Be careful and avoid the slave hunters!

You can use wordreference if you don't understand a word.

next

You are in Africa. Find and copy how adults were treated.

Check

Next

It's dark here, use the lamp to find 3 places.

The Atlantic Slave Trade

The auction

The journey

Boarding the ship

The capture

Next

Slaves leaving Africa

Go inside the ship to learn more.

You are in Africa. Find and copy how adults were treated.

Check

Next

To go back to the map you need to answer a few questions about the slaves' journey,the Middle Passage.

Oh no,I am not ready ,I want to go back and read the letter again!

I am ready to take the quiz.

The journey from Africa to America lasted about 3 months. From 400 to 600 slaves could be transported on a ship. The slaves were chained all day long. Sometimes they could go on the deck during the day to get some fresh air. At night, they were all gathered inside. They couldn't move. They could only eat twice a day. They ate beans, corn or rice. They drank half a glass of water a day.

Many Black people died during the journey because of disease and lack of food. It is believed about 1/5 of the slaves lost their lives during the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Great Britain and the United States abolished the transportation of slaves in the 1830s.

Slaves were sent to the "slave states", in red on the map. Go there first to discover their living conditions in the USA.

Then click on the green states to try to escape from slavery !

app

app

app

Life on a plantation

a plantation house - a driver - a slave - a master - a cotton field - a cabin

Next

Wrong!

check

app

Interested ? Click here

Be careful! You need to do the 2 apps before clicking on "code"!

code

Open

Slaves had terrible living conditions in the Slave States. It is time now to go North,so click on the states in green to try to escape from slavery.

Locked

Back

Observation

Most slaves chose not to run away because they were to scared but many fought slavery in subtle ways:work slowdowns,sabotage and "sickness". Take a journey on the Underground Railroad by clicking here and choosing Yes.

Not so fast !

To go North, you must answer these questions :

What was the slave job represented in a picture in the owners' house ? A (5 letters)

What type of plantation did you see in the pictures ? It was a plantation.

Next

Check

Watch again

How much is the reward?

dollars.

How many dogs can you see?

What does the woman have in her bag?

VALIDER

The journey

You are a slave on a plantation in 1850s Maryland. You work 6 days a week in your master's fields to make him rich. Freedom means a hard and dangerous trek. Do you want to try it?

No, I'll stay here.

Yes, I want to go!

CHOOSE

Back

• 5
• 3
• oui

Next

listen

routes -real- stations -conductors - tickets - passengers - North - secret -freedom - codes -

Next

listen

listen

Check

The Underground railroad wasn't a railroad. You didn't need to escape. It was a network of people who used secret . helped to go to safe houses they called . There were many that allowed slaves to travel to escape slavery and find .

4 .word for an adult boy

3. Tub

2.rriet

What is the name of the woman on the left ? If you don't know, find some hints on the picture with the lamp.

1. Ha

Next

Check

Welcome to our secret organisation. First learn more about us in this book.

Welcome to the Underground Railroad

1850

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OPEN

LOCKED

The Underground Railroad

Not many people wanted to help runaway slaves because it was very dangerous and severely punished. It became even more risky when the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed. Anyone caught helping a fugitive was subject to a $1000 fine or six months in prison. Because of these dangers, workers on the Underground Railroad were careful to keep their efforts hidden. They even had a system of code words to communicate with each other.

Thousands of slaves fled for the North along the Underground Railroad. It was not a real railroad but a secret network of people, places and routes in the North that led slaves to freedom in large cities, black communities and Canada. Reaching the Underground Railroad was a terrifying and difficult journey. Some runaways traveled on boats, trains or wagons. But most fugitives fled on foot, usually at night, with very little to eat.

We need 5 numbers to open this chest...

Help ?

12345

46151

OPEN

Look Inside

WRONG

Dear Mrs Tubman, I'd like to thank you for helping me two years ago with my wife. I now have a beautiful daughter and one very clever son. I am happy to offer them a free life. Far from the whips of our former masters. Thank you so much Moses.

The message looks coded, we have to find the code here.

Les éléments 'point' existent en trois tailles.N'en choisir qu'une !

erreur

Bravo

Valider

Recommencer

REtirer le dernier trait

Valider

Recommencer

guides who helped the fugitive slaves go North

the Underground Railroad

passengers

safe places where slaves could hide

runaway/fugitive slaves

Heaven

a secret network of people who helped slaves

tickets

Canada and the Northern free states

stations

conductors

indicated that slaves were travelling on the Railroad

variable

variable

variable

variable

variable

code

Wrong choice! I am a slave catcher and I'm going to take you back to your owner and get my reward!

So, where should you go now ?

If you have decoded your letter, leave this room by the door.

code

code

code

Going North

Your head says go,your feet say no. Harriet Tubman told you that a lantern on a hitching post means a safe house. But can you really knock on a white family's door and trust them to help you?

Yes,I'll approach the house.

No,I'll hide in the woods.

CHOOSE

After a long time walking from station to station, you have finally arrived in Edenton, North Carolina... You have to find the correct person now. Be discreet !When you think you've found them, click on the next to them.

You hear something. You sprint towards the woods but the terrain is unfamiliar. You hear something again,louder this time. Dogs are snarling, slave catchers are yelling. Tired and scared,you trip over a dead log, and they soon surround you. Your escape is over.Go back to try the other option.

The Promised Land

You made it to Edenton and then you travelled North and reached Pennsylvania, a free state. It took you courage,luck and incredible energy. A new life awaits you, a life with many challenges. But you'll face them in freedom.

“A Cotton Plantation on the Mississippi,” Currier & Ives, 1884.

THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS!

Credits: Tom COUSIN Lycée Les Pannevelles Provins