Survivors
When thinking about the Underground Railroad we often imagine an actual physical railroad that people would travel on to obtain their freedom. However, the Underground Railroad wasn’t a physical railway at all, rather it was a series of networked safe houses and secret routes all interconnected throughout the United States that enslaved people would use to escape into free states or Canada.
In the decades before the Civil War, Michigan played an essential role in the national effort to end slavery. Michigan was one of the most significant states not only because it was a free state, but also its geographical location being so close to Canada. Hundreds of fugitives would travel through Southern Michigan on their way to Detroit and finally to Canada. These are just a few of the many: