Primary
Other

House Divided Project: Letters and Diaries: Thomas Garrett to William Still #2

For Students 9th - 10th
Transcript of an original letter from Thomas Garrett to fellow abolitionist William Still regarding the intricate workings of the Underground Railroad.
Primary
Other

House Divided Project: Letters and Diaries: Thomas Garrett to William Still #1

For Students 9th - 10th
Transcript of a letter written from Thomas Garrett to fellow abolitionist William Still regarding the intricate and often dangerous leadings of the Underground Railroad.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Harriet Tubman

For Students 9th - 10th
This article overviews Harriet Tubman's involvement with the Underground Railroad, her service in the military during the Civil War, and her fight as an activist for African-American and women's rights.
Handout
Other

Understanding Race: Society: 1800 1850s: Resisting Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
An overview of slave revolts and abolitionist efforts during the first half of the nineteenth century, leading up until the Civil War. Read about the Underground Railroad, the colonization movement, and various anti-slavery books.
Lesson Plan
Other

Bringing History Home: Segregation History

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
This 3rd grade unit introduces children to the history of segregation, from the end of the Civil War in 1865 through the 1940s. Its content bridges the period between slavery and the peak of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and...
Study Guide
Ohio Test Prep

Ohio Test Prep: Module 5. Sectionalism and Antislavery

For Students 9th - 10th
Ohio Social Studies test preparatory module informs about the anti-slavery movement, the Underground Railroad and the key role Ohio played during this era. Site includes video tutorial, interactive practice material, and assessment.
Lesson Plan
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 19: Runaway Slaves

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The Underground Railroad was a significant part of American History. It served as a lifeline to hundreds of slaves who risked their lives to escape the horrors of bondage. Through readings of primary sources and listening to music,...
Graphic
Curated OER

Aame: Runaway Journeys: The Underground Railroad in the 19th Century

For Students 9th - 10th
A great map showing the pathways of escape on the Underground Railroad throughout the United States. From the Schomburg Center for Research. You can also find a map of routes in the 18th century.
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: The Compromise of 1850

For Students 11th - 12th
From a chapter on " Troubled Times: the Tumultuous 1850s," this section explains the contested issues that led to the Compromise of 1850 and describes and analyzes the reactions to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.
Lesson Plan
Schools of California Online Resources for Education

Literature Unit: The House of Dies Drear

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
"The House of Dies Drear," is a powerful novel by Virginia Hamilton.
Unit Plan
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Slavery and the Making of America: Slave Responses to Enslavement

For Students 9th - 10th
Using primary documents, oral histories, and other historical resources, learn how African Americans responded to enslavement prior to the Civil War. Includes interactive exercise.
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: African American Sites in the Digital Collections

For Students 9th - 10th
American Memory, online exhibits and other areas of the Library's Web site provide a broad range of digitized materials pertaining to the African American experience.
Primary
University of Virginia

Virginia Center for Digital History: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia

For Students 9th - 10th
A digital collection of advertisements for runaway and captured slaves in the period before the American Civil War. In addition, there are historical documents related to slavery. Gives the option of browsing or doing a detailed search....
PPT
Virginia History Series

Virginia History Series: The American Civil War in Virginia [Pdf]

For Students 6th - 8th
The state of Virginia played a pivotal role in the Civil War. Trace the war from the beginning to the battles in Virginia, and to Lee's surrender through this comprehensive slideshow. Included are charts, maps and actual photography from...
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: Underground Railroad Map

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed Underground Railway map provides information on the free states and slave states and shows routes to freedom.
Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Harriet Tubman Web Hunt: Leading the Way to Freedom

For Students 5th - 8th
A "web hunt" activity where students answer questions about Harriet Tubman and her experience on the underground railroad. Activity includes questions and internet links to find the answers to the questions.
Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: The Life of Frederick Douglass

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a brief biography of the life of Frederick Douglass. The site also contains links to the Underground Railroad, Women's Rights National Historical Park and other related sites.
Lesson Plan
Teachers.net

Teachers.net Lesson Plans: Slavery

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This lesson offers a way to teach about the Underground Railroad by using maps and discussion about the problems fugitive slaves would encounter while trying to escape.
Unit Plan
Other

Fitzhenry and Whiteside: 'If I Had Just Two Wings' Teaching Guide [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
"If I Had Just Two Wings", an historical novel by Virginia Frances Schwartz, follows the journey of some slaves as they flee to Canada along the Underground Railroad. This teacher's guide includes detailed chapter summaries and project...
Article
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Britannica Kids: 300 Women Who Changed History: Harriet Tubman

For Students 9th - 10th
Encyclopedia Britannica provides a biography of Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), an escaped slave from Maryland who later became one of the Underground Railroad's most famous "Conductors."
Unit Plan
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Fugitives, Making of African American Identity: V. 1

For Students 9th - 10th
Oral and written narratives of the experiences of the Underground Railroad and documents identifying efforts by northern societies to free slaves during the 1850s.
Website
Other

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: Slavery Today

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource draws attention to contemporary slavery of the 21st Century. Contemporary slavery includes human traficking and forced labor.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Road to Freedom Through Research and Historical Fiction

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Students learn how to walk a mile in someone else's shoes by reading historical fiction about the Underground Railroad. This is a lengthy unit of four lessons that spans thirty lesson periods where students examine characteristics of...
Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Detective Allan Pinkerton

For Students 3rd - 8th
Allan Pinkerton saved Abraham Lincoln from an assassination attempt, started the United States Secret Service and helped slaves seek freedom via the Underground Railroad. Learn about his early life in Scotland and view a photograph of...