Although the United States today could not imagine a world in which slavery was acceptable, for several hundred years before the Civil War slavery reared its head in America. Many people saw the horrors of slavery long before the rest of the country, and these people were known as abolitionists. Abolitionists organized an elaborate system called the Underground Railroad. It was established in order to help slaves escape to the North. Many slaves were also abolitionists, and some went on to write accounts of their struggle for freedom. Two very famous examples are Frederick Douglass (The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass) and Harriet Jacobs (Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl). Through the efforts of abolitionists, as well as other factors, slavery was officially abolished in 1863, but accounts still survive in literature and historical monuments. Slavery has left its mark on America forever.
Harriet Jacobs was born a slave and died a free woman. She endured many years of emotional and sexual abuse from her masters. She lived in a small, cramped attic for seven years as she watched her children grow. She escaped to the North and wrote her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, which showed the many injustices slaves experienced while working for their masters.
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Slaves were not considered people; they were considered to be property. Many lived under very poor living conditions and harsh treatment. Those who worked in the fields on plantations were lashed severely for the most miniscule reasons. Many were given poor food and clothing rations. Many slaves attempted to seek freedom with the help of abolitionists and the Underground Railroad.
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People who did not believe in slavery were known as abolitionists. Abolitionists advocated equality for everyone. Many helped slaves escape to freedom which they coveted. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, but he eventually earned his freedom. He tells his story through his autobiography The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Harriet Tubman is also another famous abolitionist. She escorted many people to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
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The Underground Railroad was an organized system controlled by abolitionists to help escaping slaves gain freedom. The Underground Railroad was not actually underground; it consisted of houses, barns, warehouses, and many other buildings that could hide slaves. There were many "stations" where runaway slaves hid from their masters; one of which was the Hanby House in Westerville.
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