The Underground Railroad
A) was a single, centralized system with clearly defined routes designed to transport enslaved people to freedom.
B) enabled approximately 30,000 fugitives to escape from the South.
C) was the system used to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act.
D) was the system slave traders used in the South to avoid public scrutiny of family separation.
E) managed to help only a few dozen people escape slavery.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century. It was used by African-American slaves to escape into free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The figure of approximately 30,000 fugitives escaping through the Underground Railroad is a commonly cited estimate, though the exact number is difficult to determine. The other options describe inaccuracies or misconceptions about the Underground Railroad.