Maps and Images
Documents matter, but images often convey what words cannot. The pages within this section of the Resource Center contain a number of striking maps and images. Maps have always been important for understanding the Underground Railroad because so many early historians of the subject were determined to show the actual escape routes of runaway slaves. We are not so convinced that is the right approach to the topic, but we have reproduced some examples of this type of work as well as some maps of our own that indicate how the presence of free blacks in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. helped make successful escapes from slavery more likely. We are also posting here a gallery of images from across the northern U.S. showing key Underground Railroad participants, places and historic scenes during the thirty years before the Civil War. Most important for teachers, these images are either in the public domain or have been reproduced here with permission for classroom use.
