The Underground Railroad is important because it was a part of history. It was what was used to help slaves escape to free lands. For black slaves in America, the road to freedom was a long and difficult one. The Underground Railroad was, of course, not a railroad at all. It was simply a network of Americans, both black and white, dedicated to destroying the institution of slavery by helping individual slaves escape to freedom. The story of the Underground Railroad is filled with danger and drama, tragedy and triumph, evil slave hunters and unsung heroes. The second importance of the Underground Railroad was that is provided an opportunity for sympathetic white Americans to play a role in resisting slavery. It also brought together, however uneasily at times, men and women of both races to begin to set aside assumptions about the other race and to work together on issues of mutual concern. At the most dramatic level, the Underground Railroad provided stories of guided escapes from the South, rescues of arrested fugitives in the North, complex communication systems, and individual acts of bravery and suffering.
