Path to Freedom

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio tells an important story. People visit this big museum to learn about the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad.

During the early part of the 1800s, many African Americans were held in slavery. This means they were not free. They were made to work for no pay. They could not live or work where they wanted.

Escape From Slavery

Visitors to the Freedom Center can learn about how African Americans tried to escape from slavery. For example, visitors can take turns crawling into a wooden box that is like one in which an enslaved person hid during the 1840s so he or she could be shipped to freedom.

The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad. It was a secret group of routes used to help enslaved people in the South escape to freedom in the North.

Most enslaved people who ran away traveled hundreds of miles. They hid during the day and moved closer to freedom in the North at night. Along the way, they stopped at safe homes called stations. People at the stations provided the runaways with food, clothing, and a place to rest.

The Freedom Center Helps us Remember

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center helps us to remember the men and women who fought for freedom. Learning about the struggles they faced is one way to honor them today.

“The Underground Railroad wouldn't have existed if it weren't for brave people who took a risk to stand up for freedom,” museum official Stephen DeVillez told Weekly Reader.