History Native Americans Underground Railroad Mackinaw Locks
Underground railroad in michigan
The Underground Railroad was a secret organization that wasn't a railroad or underground. Abolitionist faught against slavery and create the Underground Railroad, between the 1820-1860's the organization was at its high. The organization fed, housed and transported slaves from the South to free Canada. There is a misconception about the railroad being organized when also every town and city had its members but didn't have a leader or central point of origin. The idea of the Underground Railroad fueled the movement north. The start of the Underground Railroad was given to a Quaker named Levi Coffin. He opened his home to runaway slaves and convinced others in his community to do the same. "They were then called 'stockholders' in the Underground Railroad company".
Harriet Tubman is a very famous "stockholder". She escaped from slavery in 1849 and led over 300 slaves to freedom. As the organization grew people had to be even more secretive. The abolitionists didn't refer themselves by name but as railroad titles. Such titles like conductor, and station agent were used when freeing slaves. The Underground Railroad closed on December 6th 1865, the 13th Amendment was signed. Underground Railroad Routes:
1. from Toledo to Detroit and then across the Detroit River. 2. from Toledo to Adrian to Morenci to Tecumseh to Clinton To Saline to Ypsilanti to Plymouth to Swartzburg to the River Rouge to Detroit 3. Niles to White Pigeon, to Sturgis, to Coldwater, To Quincy, to Jonesville, to Somerset to Clinton, to Saline, to Ypsilanti, to Plymouth to Swartzburg to the River Rouge to Detroit 4. Niles to Cassopolis to Schoolcraft to Climax to Kalamazoo to Battle Creek to Marchall to Albion to Parma to the Michigan Center to Jackson to Dexter to Leoni to Grass Lake to Ann Arbor to Giddes to Ypsilanti to Plymouth to Swartzburg to the River Rouge to Detroit. 5. St. Joseph-Benton Harbor to South Haven to Holland to Grand Rapids to Lowell to Portland to Lansing to Willianston to Howell to Brighton to Farmington to Detoit 6. from Detriot, Lansing, Saginaw or Flint to Port Huron. 7. from Chigaco to Duluth to Mackinaw City, going on to Detriot or Port Huron via Saginaw or to Canada through Sault Ste. Marie
