SakshiNear The End Of The Line
As the night falls, the time comes for the escaped slave to resume their journey to freedom. It would have been very tough for the escaped victims to wait to huddle and packed in this room for the night.
Why Significant?
No doubt, the Reddit user’s basement room is an integral part of American history. It tells volume about the dark past of the country. We can call the “Underground Railroad” the forerunner of American Civil War that eventually led to the ending of slavery.
Legal Injustice!
It would be wrong to say that entire America meddled into the barbaric practice of slavery. During those time there were some “free states” too where slavery was not in force. However, these free states were no use for the slaves as the government had made a law called The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, stating that those who are slaves would always remain slave even if they enter the free state. Those who assisted the slaves were called criminals.
Court Room
There was no end to injustice to the slaves. The judge would always have its verdict against the slave even if they are innocent. It was due to the fact that the judge was given $5 for liberating the slave and $10 for sentencing against them. Trust me, $5 at those time was a big amount. Certainly, there was nothing equal before the law.
Kidnap And Sale
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that period was nothing less than a hell for the black people. There was no law protecting the black people from kidnapping from the free state and selling them to the slave-owning state. The Underground Railroad was the result of these injustices.
First Few Miles!
Escaping the brutal circumstances was not an easy thing for the slaves. If caught the slaves were treated worse than an animal. They were flogged, tortured and raped by the owner. Sadly, no law had been made to protect them. The most difficult part for the underground railway was to make the slaves escape from their owner.