The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to free states and Canada in the early to mid-19th century. Although it was not a physical railroad, the term "Underground Railroad" was used to describe the network of people, both Black and white, who assisted enslaved individuals in their journey to freedom.

The Underground Railroad played a significant role in the fight against slavery and was a key part of the abolitionist movement. Enslaved individuals would often travel at night, following the North Star as a guide, and would seek shelter and assistance from sympathetic individuals along the way, known as "conductors." Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, made multiple daring trips to the South to help enslaved individuals escape to freedom.

The network of the Underground Railroad extended across multiple states in the United States and into Canada, where slavery was abolished earlier than in the United States. It is estimated that thousands of enslaved individuals successfully escaped to freedom with the help of the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad is a powerful symbol of the resilience and determination of enslaved African Americans and the abolitionists who fought against the institution of slavery. It remains an important part of Black history and the history of the United States in the fight for civil rights and freedom.