Resistance+to+Slavery

  Slave Catchers:** What would you do if you were in slavery? Would you run away? That is what most people did in the 1800s and throughout the time of slavery. Most slaves were so unhappy with the harsh living conditions, so they decided to run away. When the slaves ran away, masters often put up signs saying that they were lost. These signs often said when they were lost, what they looked like, and who they were. Masters also would give reward money for finding slaves, so that if they were found, whoever found them would get money in return. It was so important to find slaves that some cities even had slave patrols, or otherwise known as slave catchers. Many cities also had tracking dogs. The jobs of the dogs and of the catchers was simply to track and look for any run away slaves. They looked everywhere, in forests, or in houses, they just had to find slaves. When they were found, not only would the person who found them get paid, but the slave would often be beaten. The punishments by the masters were very violent and harsh, people would even be thrown in jail sometimes. Some people did escape though, and they were able to get away from the slave catchers and vicious dogs.
 * Fugitive Slave Act**
 * Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850. This Compromise satisfied both the Southerners and the Northerners. This was one of the most questionable acts of the Compromise of 1850. The Fugitive slave act was contended because some northerners did not want slavery to widen. It spurred Northern fears of slavery increasing. It declared that all runaway slaves be brought back to their masters. After this act there were many more slave catchers.

 //**__The Underground Railroad__**//

The Underground Railroad was a large network of people who helped runaway slaves escape to the North and Canada through a system of secret routes and safe houses. Slaves were helped by abolitionists, or people who were against slavery and sympathetic to the slaves' desire to be free. The system of helping slaves to escape may have started as early as the late 18th century but it wasn't until around 1831, when the steam railroads began to arrive, that the name "Underground Railroad" started to be used. The Underground Railroad really helped during the 1850's and 1860's because it helped 10,000 slaves escape to freedom in the north. For slaves, freedom did not come easily. First, a slave needed to escape from the slave master. This was either done by the slave alone or with the help of a "conductor" who pretended to be a slave, entered the plantation and hen guided the runaway slave to the north. One of the most famous "conductors" was Harriet Tubman, who was also a runaway slave herself. She was called the "Moses" of her people because she helped more than 300 runaways including her own elderly parents. Most of the secret moving of the runaway slaves was done at night. The runaway slave would travel between 10-20 miles to the next "station", or "safe house". A "safe house" is a a place where runaways could hide, such as a home or barn, that had secret closets, trap doors to basement hiding places or even secret compartments in a fire place where runaways could rest and eat until the time they had to take off for the next station. While the runaway rested, a message was sent to the next station to alert them of the coming mission. Sometimes, runaways traveled by train or boat which would cost money. Money was also needed to buy clothes to improve the runaway's appearance because, a black person in dirty, ripped clothes might look suspicious. The money was donated by individuals or raised by groups of people called "Vigilance Committees". The vigilance committees were people who lived in larger towns and cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Boston. These people also helped by providing food, lodging, money and help finding jobs for runaways as they tried to settle into a new community.