Cobblestone articles from February 2003

Cobblestone archives from February 2003

Editor's note.(Underground Railroad)
February 1, 2003... How can something be common and accepted knowledge but at the same time be secret? How can something be a railroad but lack tracks on which to travel? These queries are not riddles. Rather, they are questions one might ask about the Underground...

All aboard the Underground Railroad.
February 1, 2003... Many myths surround the Underground Railroad. The two biggest misconceptions are that it actually was a system of tracks along which trains rode and that it ran below the earth. The Underground Railroad was neither. In reality, the...

The fugitive slave acts of 1793 and 1850.
February 1, 2003... The passage of the Thirteenth Amendment at the end of the Civil War in 1865 marked the first time the federal government attempted to protect the rights of African Americans. Until this time, black people in the North were subject to economic,...

The rise of the antislavery movement.
February 1, 2003... Although slavery was prominent in the South prior to the 1860s, the institution created controversy and divided all Americans. By the early 1800s, there was a growing disagreement between those who supported slavery--mostly in the South--and...

Abolitionists who led the way.(including Arthur and Lewis Tappan, Catherine Mott and Lucretia Mott)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Several prominent figures were involved in establishing the American Anti-Slavery Society. These included merchant brothers Arthur and Lewis Tappan. Arthur became the first president of the society in 1833, and eventually the brothers became...

Ohio first step to freedom.
February 1, 2003... Though slavery was a horrible life, the decision to leave the South, one's family, and all things familiar was a difficult one. It meant an uncertain future and a new and unknown territory. The men, women, and children who planned their escapes...

Preserving history ... above ground.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ohio is not the only state rich in Underground Railroad history. Following are some others with famous sites that preserve the history of this movement for future generations. Illinois The Owen Lovejoy Homestead in Princeton offers one of...

Did you know?(about slavery)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In 1850 a person could go to jail for helping another human being obtain freedom from slavery. Fugitive slave Henry "Box" Brown had himself shipped by rail in a large wooden crate from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The...

The Robinsons of Vermont.(helping the salves)
February 1, 2003... The people of Vermont had a strong tradition of opposition to the institution of slavery. The state outlawed slavery in its 1777 constitution. And Vermont passed personal liberty laws in 1843 that made it difficult, if not impossible, to...

A new beginning.(Canada)
February 1, 2003... In 1833, slavery was abolished in all the English-controlled territories in North America. Canada, part of the British empire until 1867, became an important final destination for fugitive slaves from the United States. The country not only...

Spiritual songs in code. (Activities).
February 1, 2003... Most slaveholders did not allow their slaves to read or write. Many slave owners also banned the playing of drums, which they were afraid would beat out coded messages among slaves. Slaves even were restricted from talking to one another during...

The past inspires the present at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.(opening in Cincinnati in mid-2004)
February 1, 2003... The legacy of the Underground Railroad--courage, cooperation, and perseverance on the journey to freedom w still inspires people today. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, opening in mid-2004 in Cincinnati, Ohio, plans to be a...

Sewing signs. (Quote of the Month).(secret codes in quilts of slaves)
February 1, 2003... Throughout most of the South during the time of the Underground Railroad, it was against the law to teach slaves to read and write. That did not stop slaves from communicating with one another about the road to freedom, however. They hung...

Brain ticklers.(Underground Railroad questions)
February 1, 2003... Give your brain a little tickle to see how well you read and understood this issue on the Underground Railroad. If you believe the answer to be false, give yourself the ultimate test and see whether you can explain why it is false. 1....

A final word.(Underground Railroad and abolitionists)
February 1, 2003... Can you picture yourself breaking the law and risking your life to help people you do not know and may never see again? What adjectives would you use to describe the abolitionists who worked on the Underground Railroad?

Nature. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... Beautiful, lovely, mysterious, touching, pleasant, wild, gloomy, rough, hostile, reckless, awful, plain, destructive. Megan Turner Big Sandy, Texas

Freedom. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... Freedom Fight for the Rights of religious freedom and of Every individual to be free. You cannot Enslave another's thinking or rights, and no one should Dominate or take away Others' choices. We are...

A Grandma. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... A Grandma A grandma is warm hugs and sweet memories. She remembers all your accomplishments and forgets all your mistakes. A grandma is someone you can tell your secrets and worries to, and she...

The Underground Railroad. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... From the South to the North, black slaves would travel in the hope of freedom one day. There was Harriet Tubman, a brave woman who freed many, including herself. They would travel only during the night, not knowing if they would make it--but...

Leopards. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... Leopards live secret lives. Extreme hunters, Out-of-sight Predators of the night. Adaptable, dark, spotted Relatives of lions and tigers. Desperadoes of disguise, Stalking and surviving. Haley Ellis Big Sandy, Texas

Journey to Freedom. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... Treacherous journey--grasping for freedom, seeking to break the bonds of slavery. Staggering onward, heedless of the lack of food and water--ever traveling north. Always alert, cowering from the sun--peril ahead and behind. ...

Dear Cobblestonians.
February 1, 2003... In most cases, little is known about specific women involved in the settlement of the New World in the 1600s. One female figure who stands out, however, is Anne Hutchinson of Massachusetts. She was a religious leader who became known for...

Digging deeper.(Underground Railroad)(Bibliography)
February 1, 2003... Books to Read Freedom Roads: Searching for the Underground Railroad by Joyce Hansen and Gary McGowan (Chicago: Cricket Books, 2003) explores how archaeologists and historians today have discovered and reconstructed the methods and routes...

From the archives.(Underground Railroad publications)(famous African American publications)(Bibliography)
February 1, 2003... For a thorough look at the Underground Railroad, we recommend checking out two of COBBLESTONE's sister publications. DIG's Tracking the Underground Railroad (DIG0301) looks at the archaeological study of the Railroad. FOOTSTEPS's The...