Analyzing Fugitive Slaves, Escape, and Reactions in History Essay

This essay explores the concept of fugitive slaves, their diverse escape methods, and the reactions they encountered from both the Northern and Southern white populations. It highlights the challenges faced by runaway slaves seeking freedom in territories and states that banned slavery, such as Canada and Mexico, and the severe punishments inflicted upon those who were recaptured. The essay also examines the impact of the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850, which aimed to recapture slaves without providing them legal protection. Furthermore, it discusses the role of the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and individuals that facilitated the escape of approximately 70,000 slaves between 1800 and 1865, led by Harriet Tubman. The essay concludes by emphasizing the historical significance of these freedom journeys and the determination of fugitive slaves to overcome slavery, even at the risk of their lives.

Running head: HISTORY ESSAY
History Essay
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1HISTORY ESSAY
The essay aims at discussing the concept of fugitive slave and the different types of
escaping. The essay also discusses about the reaction of runaways amongst the Whites of the
North and the South. There is also discussion about the role played by the Underground
Railroad.
The fugitive slaves also referred as the runaway slaves were the ones who left the
masters and made an escape without any sort of authorization (Du Bois and William). They
usually tried to reach the territories and states like Canada and Mexico that banned slavery.
However the escape runaways for reaching to a safer state were a long travel on foot which
made their escape temporary and get captured easily. Thus, due to the physical challenge
faced in the journey towards freedom it was only the young men who took an attempt to run
away permanently (Oakes and James). The slaves who were caught escaping and brought to
their managers were punished severely in order to deter others from the attempt of escaping.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and 1850 implemented provisions for recapturing the slaves
without the justice system providing them protection.
The White in the North and the South however believed that reunion had firmly out
rooted the problem of Slavery. They not only supported runaways but also looked forward in
easing the harsh Reconstruction policies of the South (Kolchin and Peter). This had enabled
the blacks to disfranchise and help them move out of the various labour markets
Further, Underground Railroad made it easier for the slaves to escape. It represented
a network of safe houses and individuals that encouraged the journey of the fugitive slaves to
the north (Gara and Larry). This particular network was operated under the guidance Harriet
Tubman who himself was an escaped slave. This railroad helped approximately 70,000
individuals to escape from the capture of slavery between the years 1800 and 1865. Though
the journey was assisted but it was gruelling. There were small runaway groups that would

2HISTORY ESSAY
travel around a distance of around 10 to 20 miles at night from one station to another with the
risk of recapturing.
The essay ends with a discussion on the effective means that helped the fugitive
slaves to escape to Canada. It can thus be said that the pages of history also remained proof
how freedom ride over Slavery even at the expense of one’s life.

3HISTORY ESSAY
References:
Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade to the
United States of America. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Gara, Larry. The Liberty Line: The Legend of the Underground Railroad. University Press of
Kentucky, 2013.
Kolchin, Peter. "Comparative Perspectives on Emancipation in the US South: Reconstruction,
Radicalism, and Russia." The Journal of the Civil War Era 2.2 (2012): 203-232.
Oakes, James. Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-
1865: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861–1865. WW Norton & Company,
2012.