SakshiEureka!
But the Reddit user kept trying and he eventually found something. It was hidden behind a wall. Surprisingly, unlike the antiquated home, the wall was constructed quite recently. It was 32 inches thick! While exploring the wall he spotted an opening on top of that. With the help of a step ladder, he managed to climb up to the void and peer into that. He had his eyes all opened when he looked into the hole. Whatever rumor was there about their home was true! In the 19th century, the house had been taken in use by the smuggling network. You would be shocked to know what they used to smuggle.
Smuggling Of New Kind
Smugglers are the people who trade goods illegally so that they would not have to pay taxes or duty on the cargo. Needless to say that smugglers are looked down upon in society as they are usually considered thieves. That is why it is important to point out here that the smugglers using the house were not bad people but the bastions of the society. To be precise, they were activists who were using the house for a noble cause. And they were involved with several religious organization too such as Wesleyans, Presbyterians, and Quakers.
The Mystery Unveiled
On further inspection, it turned out that the secret room was a part of 19th century’s Underground Railroad used by African-Americans. The noble network was created to free black people from the web of slavery in some parts of America and lead them to Canada. In order to have control over the plans operating in both the country, it was pertinent to have a house nearing the border. As far as its name “Underground Railroad” is concerned, it was named so that no one could find out about the organization and their work.
Code Words
Not just “Underground Railroad,” they had a big glossary of code words. In their code language “passenger” meant the escaped slave who has been freed. Those who took action in order to free the “passengers” were called “agents.” The room that the Reddit user found was named “station” as that was the spot where the people would wait for agents. “station master” was the person who owned the “station.” And lastly, those who led the ‘passengers’ to the safe place would be called “conductor.”
“The Promised Land”
It is difficult to believe that today’s prosperous America has seen such a dark time too. But it was real and thanks to networks like “underground railroad” that freed over 100,000 men and women from forced labor. If we go by the people’s belief then about 1 in 3 escaped slaves rushed to “British North America” today is known as Canada. The Underground Railway would call it “The Promised Land” “Heaven, and “Gospel Train.”
Not Much Left Behind
The room did not have much stuff inside it. It was not a surprising thing as during those time the slaves were considered property and hence, were not allowed to own property. The interior of the house was never decorated or lighten up as the homeowner had the fear of getting discovered. The one thing that looked odd in all was a rusty bayonet on the wall. Nobody could figure out why that was placed there.