Writing 231
Ms. Fleres
11/23/09
The Underground Railroad For the better part of their lives, slaves lived under constant threat of whip administered by rough overseers and their masters, who punished them at the slightest offence. An attempt to disobey the whip sometimes could lead to death. These, combined with more than thirteen hours of intense labor every day under scorching sun are some of the reasons as to why the slaves, so badly needed to escape in search of freedom and a better life. Methods of escape were as many and as ingenious as the thousands of slaves who had already made up their minds and decided that it was time to move on and look for freedom. Before slaves escaped, they needed to ensure that they had enough supplies food, water, and clothes because the journey up north was long and tough (Borderwich 25). An escape needed thorough planning with outside contacts on how and when one would leave the compound and what their first destination would be. This would ensure that the slave would arrive in time at the next destination where he or she would meet the people who would help him or her to move on from there. Most runaway slaves escaped from plantations by foot, carefully choosing the ‘safest’ paths that would deliver them to the next point, from which they would now join their helpers (Borderwich 27). The plantations were vast and finding a way out to a safer place was no easy task. Escape from the plantations needed to be done at a time when the slave master or the overseers were not aware and most slaves opted to run away at night when no one would be awake to see them. It was important for the runaway slave to seek guidance from the people who would help them escape north because of the terror of being pursued by bounty hunters or their masters. For a successful escape, there was need for trust between the slave and