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The Underground Railroad changed history. Share 10 Facts about the Underground Railroad with your kids that they’ll love!
The Underground Railroad sounds like a Batman-inspired subterranean subway system, doesn’t it?
In fact, the Underground Railroad rarely involved trains at all. Instead, it was an illegal system of escape for enslaved Americans. The Underground Railroad helped bring an end to slavery in America altogether.
History matters. We want our kids to understand history from a biblical worldview. We want them to see God’s sovereign hand in history. It’s important that our kids learn about faithful Christ-followers who sought to live out their commitment to Jesus, applying Scripture to their lives.
That’s what the Underground Railroad was. It was a network primarily staffed by Christians willing to risk everything to love their neighbors as themselves.
Underground Railroad Facts Kids Will Love
History is often fascinating! Your kids will love these Underground Railroad facts:
- The Underground Railroad was an escape system that began in the early 1800s, but was most active between 1830 and 1860.
- Trains were a new system of travel in the United States, with the first passenger train beginning operations in New York state in 1831. After the escape of a man named Tice Davids, his captor exclaimed that he must have escaped on an “underground road.” Abolitionists loved the image of a train whisking enslaved people to freedom through an underground tunnel, so they used the train imagery to explain every aspect of their escape system. Their were conductors, stations, station masters, and more!
- Being a “passenger” on the Underground Railroad was a lot of work. It was really dangerous, too. The punishment for fleeing slavery could even be death.
- Workers on the Underground Railroad were black and white, enslaved and free, poor and rich. In fact, some people remained enslaved just so they would be in a better position to help others escape slavery!
- Most of the people working on the Underground Railroad were Christian. They believed the laws surrounding American slavery were wicked, and that in order to follow Jesus, they had to engage in civil disobedience.
- There were many ways to “board” the Underground Railroad. For instance, a man named Henry Brown actually mailed himself north, nailed into a wooden shipping box.
- Not every passenger on the Underground Railroad traveled to the northern states, or to Canada–but many did.
- Station masters didn’t usually have hidden rooms or secret passages in their homes. Instead, they hid fugitives in basements, barns, bedrooms, hay bales, wagons, and plain sight.
- The Underground Railroad helped free roughly 150,000 African Americans from slavery over the course of 30 years.
- In the United States, the Underground Railroad helped force the end of slavery for all Americans through the American Civil War. Four million Americans were freed at the end of the war.
Fun Underground Railroad Resources
The Underground Railroad helped change history one person at a time, finally helping bring about the freedom of four million Americans. Take a look at a few fun ways your kids can learn more about the Underground Railroad:
- What Was the Underground Railroad? – This fun illustrated chapter book about Johann Gutenberg, the history of the Bible, and the invention of the printing press is perfect for your 8-11 year olds.
- What Was the Underground Railroad? History Lapbook – You’ll want to grab this free lapbook so your kids can keep track of everything they learn about the Gutenberg Bible and the printing press!
- Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Craft – Your kids will love making their own printing press and its inventor out of toilet paper rolls. Plus, it’s a super cute craft.
The Underground Railroad helped change the history of the United States. Your kids can learn all about it, complete with interesting facts and stories. That’s the kind of thing 7-11 year olds love!
Danika Cooley’s Who What Why Christian history series is perfect for your 7-11 year olds. Your children will better understand the history of the Christian faith, the people who loved Jesus, and what the Bible says about really important issues! Danika is an award-winning children’s author and Bible curriculum developer. Her popular Bible Road Trip™ is used by tens of thousands of families.
Learn more about the Who What Why series and grab your free history lapbooks here.
by Stephanie, The Multi Taskin' Mom