How the Underground Railroad Helped Enslaved People Escape to Freedom

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} // if ('scrollRestoration' in history) { history.scrollRestoration = 'manual'; } </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/at.js?v=3.130.14" async ></script> <script> dataLayer = []; </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5W6NC8'); </script> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "uploadDate": "2024-11-20T08:30:10", "name" : "How the Underground Railroad helped enslaved people find freedom", "description": "Learn about the abolition movement in the United States, including the role of the Underground Railroad.", "duration" : "PT3M39S", "contentUrl" : "//content.jwplatform.com/videos/iXu4bO4x-Qc3NyWj4.mp4", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://cdn.britannica.com/75/169075-138-57B4E9DE/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion.jpg", "transcript" : "Before the American Civil War, slavery was legal in the Southern part of the United States but illegal in the North. People opposed to slavery were called abolitionists, because they wanted to abolish the practice throughout the entire country. Abolitionists used a variety of methods to try to end slavery: abolitionist editors published antislavery newspapers; politicians, clergymen, and other community leaders gave speeches and sermons; poets and authors denounced slavery in their literary works. Abolitionists also outright defied the institution by helping enslaved Black people in the South escape to freedom in the North. The journey for people escaping slavery was long and dangerous. Many of them had to travel hundreds of miles across unknown terrain and rivers, with little or no resources. They all ran the risk of being caught and sent back south. The Underground Railroad was a secret organized system established in the early 1800s to help these individuals reach safe havens in the North and Canada. The network extended through 14 Northern states. The system used railway terms as code words: safe houses were called stations and those who helped people escape slavery were called conductors. Conductors included formerly enslaved Black people, such as Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist who directed activities in Rochester, New York, and Harriet Tubman, who made some 13 journeys back south to lead others north. Tubman risked her own freedom each time she helped others escape and became known as the \u201CMoses of her people.\u201D Conductors also included white abolitionists, such as Thomas Garrett, who may have helped about 2,700 people fleeing slavery, and Congressman Owen Lovejoy, who spoke openly of his involvement in the Underground Railroad before Congress. The unofficial \"president of the Underground Railroad\" was Levi Coffin, whose home was known as the Grand Central Station. Many enslaved people\u2014perhaps 2,000 or more--passed through Coffin's care. They included Eliza Harris and her child, who made the perilous journey during winter and were forced to flee across the frozen ice of the Ohio River. Harris\u2019s story served as the inspiration for the character of Eliza in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe\u2014a friend of the Coffins\u2014used her familiarity with the Underground Railroad to fill her novel with vivid depictions of the suffering endured by enslaved Black people. Her words helped inflame many white Northerners against slavery. Participating in the Underground Railroad could have dire consequences. The Fugitive Slave Acts provided for the capture and return of people who fled slavery, even from free states and U.S. territories. Upon return, freedom seekers faced harsh and potentially violent punishments. Anyone caught helping someone escape slavery could be sentenced to a fine or jail time. One abolitionist, Jonathan Walker, had his hand branded with \"SS\"\u2014for slave stealer\u2014for his efforts to help enslaved people escape to freedom. Because of the danger involved, few people kept records of the activities of the Underground Railroad, but it is estimated that 40,000 to 100,000 enslaved people journeyed to freedom along its routes.", "width" : 1920, "height" : 1080, "url": "https://www.britannica.com/video/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion/-187125" } </script></head> <body data-leg="D" class="standalone-video-page user-ANONYMOUS user-ads md-desktop leg-db-ie">  <script>Mendel.config.adProvider='ay';</script> <script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script> window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/15510053/CMP_1x1', [1, 1], 'div-gpt-ad-1709766812090-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script async defer src="https://launchpad-wrapper.privacymanager.io/0ccc6fe8-1870-4ad8-b47b-6d029ac116fc/launchpad-liveramp.js"></script> <script async src="https://JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs.ay.delivery/manager/JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs" type="text/javascript" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" ></script><div class="ie-warning d-flex align-items-center align-self-center justify-content-center site-alert bg-orange"> <div> You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. 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type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/75/169075-138-57B4E9DE/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/iXu4bO4x.m3u8"}],"assetId":169075,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/eBakg1Td.m3u8","title":"How the Underground Railroad helped enslaved people find freedom","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/qkEU58ov","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion/-187125#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Learn about the abolition movement in the United States, including the role of the Underground Railroad.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion/-187125" >How the Underground Railroad helped enslaved people find freedom</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion/-187125"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/169075-138-57B4E9DE/overview-abolitionist-movement-Underground-Railroad-discussion.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="How the Underground Railroad helped enslaved people find freedom" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-2 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="253729"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/95/221895-138-110EC1F7/Frederick-Douglass-biographical-history.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/LbhrPOiQ.m3u8"}],"assetId":221895,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/ynu6OsU1.m3u8","title":"What we can learn from Frederick Douglass today","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/Q0eT6WdY","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/Frederick-Douglass-biographical-history/-253729#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Learn from historian Noelle Trent about how Frederick Douglass matters today.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Frederick-Douglass-biographical-history/-253729" >What we can learn from Frederick Douglass today</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Frederick-Douglass-biographical-history/-253729"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/221895-138-110EC1F7/Frederick-Douglass-biographical-history.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="What we can learn from Frederick Douglass today" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-3 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="258940"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/61/226661-138-20E33EDB/Who-was-Frederick-Douglass.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/i9wex69j.m3u8"}],"assetId":226661,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/H2eo91yG.m3u8","title":"How Frederick Douglass became an abolitionist","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/ulpIx4x5","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/Who-was-Frederick-Douglass/-258940#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Learn more about Frederick Douglass.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Who-was-Frederick-Douglass/-258940" >How Frederick Douglass became an abolitionist</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Who-was-Frederick-Douglass/-258940"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/61/226661-138-20E33EDB/Who-was-Frederick-Douglass.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="How Frederick Douglass became an abolitionist" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-4 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="68577"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/45/73145-138-F800A6F7/history-slave-trade-Africa-region.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/LmswF2WT.m3u8"}],"assetId":73145,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/MeI4IBe2.m3u8","title":"Study the history of the African slave trade and its economic effect on western Africa, where coastal states became rich and powerful while savanna states were destabilized as their people were taken captive","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/DGo7eLnv","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/history-slave-trade-Africa-region/-68577#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Learn about the history of the slave trade in western Africa.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/history-slave-trade-Africa-region/-68577" >Study the history of the African slave trade and its economic effect on western Africa, where coastal states became rich and powerful while savanna states were destabilized as their people were taken captive</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/history-slave-trade-Africa-region/-68577"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/73145-138-F800A6F7/history-slave-trade-Africa-region.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="Study the history of the African slave trade and its economic effect on western Africa, where coastal states became rich and powerful while savanna states were destabilized as their people were taken captive" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-5 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="245101"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/51/213451-138-E305F7C8/Top-questions-answers-Frederick-Douglass.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/NL4ataWT.m3u8"}],"assetId":213451,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/5wE8MToK.m3u8","title":"Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist movement","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/jYZQL1b6","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/Top-questions-answers-Frederick-Douglass/-245101#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Questions and answers about Frederick Douglass.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Top-questions-answers-Frederick-Douglass/-245101" >Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist movement</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Top-questions-answers-Frederick-Douglass/-245101"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/213451-138-E305F7C8/Top-questions-answers-Frederick-Douglass.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist movement" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-6 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="253731"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/31/222031-138-528C7C9C/Frederick-Douglass-autobiographies.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/A0kEf8x5.m3u8"}],"assetId":222031,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/xs9TBN2o.m3u8","title":"Why Frederick Douglass wrote three autobiographies","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/anb46eg2","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/Frederick-Douglass-autobiographies/-253731#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Learn about the autobiographical writings of Frederick Douglass with Dr. Noelle Trent.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Frederick-Douglass-autobiographies/-253731" >Why Frederick Douglass wrote three autobiographies</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/Frederick-Douglass-autobiographies/-253731"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/222031-138-528C7C9C/Frederick-Douglass-autobiographies.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="Why Frederick Douglass wrote three autobiographies" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-7 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="206099"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/61/186461-138-F7666EF4/slavery-human-trafficking-Europe.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/zJKykz8B.m3u8"}],"assetId":186461,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/kgpYU04s.m3u8","title":"Know about slavery, human trafficking, and the elements of human trafficking","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/QJSWjEAk","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/slavery-human-trafficking-Europe/-206099#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">© Open University (<a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://corporate.britannica.com/partners" data-show-preview="true">A Britannica Publishing Partner</a>)</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Learn about slavery and human trafficking, especially in Europe.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/slavery-human-trafficking-Europe/-206099" >Know about slavery, human trafficking, and the elements of human trafficking</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/slavery-human-trafficking-Europe/-206099"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/61/186461-138-F7666EF4/slavery-human-trafficking-Europe.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="Know about slavery, human trafficking, and the elements of human trafficking" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li class="vpwpl-video-item-8 vpwpl-video-item " data-assemblyid="287164"> <script type="application/json">{"image":"https://cdn.britannica.com/72/249372-138-9E459FA4/historical-interpreter-Stephen-Seals-Colonial-Williamsburg-enslaved-people-Colonial-America.jpg","sources":[{"file":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/T3LYyzWR.m3u8"}],"assetId":249372,"adfile":"//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/DcrRnhqw.m3u8","title":" The remarkable resilience of enslaved people in colonial America","tracks":[{"file":"//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/YgO7BfgR.vtt","label":"English"}],"transcriptUrl":"/video/historical-interpreter-Stephen-Seals-Colonial-Williamsburg-enslaved-people-Colonial-America/-287164#transcript"}</script> <script data-id="video-credit" type="text/plain">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</script> <script data-id="video-caption" type="text/plain">Historical interpreter Stephen Seals discusses the everyday lives and remarkable resilience of enslaved people in Colonial Williamsburg and the United States.</script> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal " > <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/historical-interpreter-Stephen-Seals-Colonial-Williamsburg-enslaved-people-Colonial-America/-287164" > The remarkable resilience of enslaved people in colonial America</a> </div> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www.britannica.com/video/historical-interpreter-Stephen-Seals-Colonial-Williamsburg-enslaved-people-Colonial-America/-287164"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/72/249372-138-9E459FA4/historical-interpreter-Stephen-Seals-Colonial-Williamsburg-enslaved-people-Colonial-America.jpg?w=100&h=75&c=crop" alt="The remarkable resilience of enslaved people in colonial America" width="100" height="75" /> <div class="btn btn-sm border border-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="border-width: 3px; top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%,-50%)"> <em class="material-icons text-white" data-icon="play_arrow"></em> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="related-topics mt-20 font-14 text-muted"> <strong>Related Articles:</strong> <span id="related-articles"> <a class="" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/abolitionism-European-and-American-social-movement">abolitionism</a> , <a class="" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-Douglass">Frederick Douglass</a> , <a class="" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harriet-Tubman">Harriet Tubman</a> , <a class="" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Underground-Railroad">Underground Railroad</a> </span> </div> <hr class="my-30 col-100"> <h2 class="font-16 text-uppercase my-30">Transcript</h2> <div id ="transcript" class="lh-lg font-serif"> Before the American Civil War, slavery was legal in the Southern part of the United States but illegal in the North. People opposed to slavery were called abolitionists, because they wanted to abolish the practice throughout the entire country. Abolitionists used a variety of methods to try to end slavery: abolitionist editors published antislavery newspapers; politicians, clergymen, and other community leaders gave speeches and sermons; poets and authors denounced slavery in their literary works. Abolitionists also outright defied the institution by helping enslaved Black people in the South escape to freedom in the North. The journey for people escaping slavery was long and dangerous. Many of them had to travel hundreds of miles across unknown terrain and rivers, with little or no resources. They all ran the risk of being caught and sent back south. The Underground Railroad was a secret organized system established in the early 1800s to help these individuals reach safe havens in the North and Canada. The network extended through 14 Northern states. The system used railway terms as code words: safe houses were called stations and those who helped people escape slavery were called conductors. Conductors included formerly enslaved Black people, such as Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist who directed activities in Rochester, New York, and Harriet Tubman, who made some 13 journeys back south to lead others north. Tubman risked her own freedom each time she helped others escape and became known as the “Moses of her people.” Conductors also included white abolitionists, such as Thomas Garrett, who may have helped about 2,700 people fleeing slavery, and Congressman Owen Lovejoy, who spoke openly of his involvement in the Underground Railroad before Congress. The unofficial "president of the Underground Railroad" was Levi Coffin, whose home was known as the Grand Central Station. Many enslaved people—perhaps 2,000 or more--passed through Coffin's care. They included Eliza Harris and her child, who made the perilous journey during winter and were forced to flee across the frozen ice of the Ohio River. Harris’s story served as the inspiration for the character of Eliza in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe—a friend of the Coffins—used her familiarity with the Underground Railroad to fill her novel with vivid depictions of the suffering endured by enslaved Black people. Her words helped inflame many white Northerners against slavery. Participating in the Underground Railroad could have dire consequences. The Fugitive Slave Acts provided for the capture and return of people who fled slavery, even from free states and U.S. territories. Upon return, freedom seekers faced harsh and potentially violent punishments. Anyone caught helping someone escape slavery could be sentenced to a fine or jail time. One abolitionist, Jonathan Walker, had his hand branded with "SS"—for slave stealer—for his efforts to help enslaved people escape to freedom. Because of the danger involved, few people kept records of the activities of the Underground Railroad, but it is estimated that 40,000 to 100,000 enslaved people journeyed to freedom along its routes.</div> </div></div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <footer class="md-footer footer-wrapper hide-on-edit"> <div class="footer-bck"> <DIV class="marketing-FOOTER_NEWSLETTER marketing-content" data-marketing-id="FOOTER_NEWSLETTER"><div class="md-footer-newsletter-form pt-10 mb-30 mx-15 mx-sm-120"> <div class="font-18"> <strong>History at your fingertips –</strong> Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox! </div> <div class="p-30"> <div class="newsletter-form-container"> <form class="newsletter-form" method="post" action="/newsletter-subscription/EB_ON_THIS_DAY"> <div class="form-group grid d-flex justify-content-center"> <div class="col-sm-50 col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="enter-your-email">Enter your email</label> <input id="enter-your-email" type="email" name="email" class="form-control font-18 p-10" placeholder="Enter your email" pattern="[a-z0-9._%+-]+@[a-z0-9.-]+\.[a-z]{2,4}$" required> </div> <div class="col-sm-auto col-100 mt-5 mt-sm-0"> <button type="submit" class="btn btn-outline-white" style="width: 100%; height:100%;">Subscribe</button> </div> </div> <div class="text-white pt-30 text-opacity"> By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.<br> Click here to view our <a class="link-white text-decoration-underline" href="https://corporate.britannica.com/privacy-policy2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Privacy Notice</a>. 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How the Underground Railroad Helped Enslaved People Escape to Freedom | Britannica