Why did we have an Underground Railroad in the United States?

We had an Underground Railroad because we had slavery. We had an Underground Railroad because many people wanted to escape from slavery and because other people wanted to help them. Slaves lived a very unhappy life, often facing great cruelty and physical danger. It is natural that slaves wanted to escape. Many people who were free believed that slavery was wrong and so they put themselves in danger to help slaves escape and become free.

Slaves were bought and sold like ordinary property, like a chair or a cart.

In order to understand why people organized the Underground Railroad, you have to know about slavery. Click on the question below to learn about slavery and the life of slaves and free blacks in Maryland.