Do you like to sing? This site has a very catchy song about the Underground Railroad. It helps you learn about the people that were involved and what they did to help the slaves escape to freedom. It is written as a rap and it is easy to memorize. You can even print out the words and sing along. It is a fun way to learn history! They sing about the actions of such people as John Brown, Henry "Box" Brown, Harriet Tubman and it explains the Fugitive Slave Law of 1856. If you want to sing along you can use RealAudio and sing or you can watch a Quicktime video on the screen while you listen to the words.
Reviewed by Rabi and Megan

Do you want to know more about what went on in different states during the time of the Underground Railroad? This site has an excellent map that shows the most common routes taken to reach freedom in Canada. Descriptions and photographs of 42 historic places are given that are listed in the National Park Service U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Just click on a state in the map and it will give you a list of sites in that state that were important in the history of the Underground Railroad. This site also gives historical information on slave trade practices, early antislavery movements, how the Underground Railroad operated, and the Civil War. If you have even more questions there is an active e-mail link to the National Park Service for you to send questions.
Reviewed by Ashlee and LaKeshia

We know from history that most slaves were not allowed to learn to read and write. This site, however, gives us select journal writings of some slaves and abolitionists who could write. They tell the story of the pain and sorrow they suffered. The page is very plain with no art work, but the individual stories are very colorful and follow slavery from enslavement, the Middle Passage, arrival in the new world, conditions of life, childhood, family life and religion. The next entries--punishment, resistance, fleeing the South, and emancipation--tell stories of the true, very painful and difficult lives of slaves seeking freedom. For example, you can read the real story of Henry "Box" Brown as he tells of how he had himself shipped in a wooden box to escape to the North. Did you know that his "box ride" took 26 hours to travel from Richmond Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? This page has what are called primary sources, the actual words or first person stories of what happened. Come and read more about Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and John Brown through real stories.
Reviewed by Rabi and Dezmond

Second grade students at Pocantico Hill School in Sleepy Hollow, New York studied about the Underground Railroad and, with the help of their teachers, put together this fun Underground Railroad site. Here you can visit a timeline about Harriet Tubman, take a quiz, do a crossword puzzle and read students' poems about Harriet. For older students, they have the history behind the song "Follow The Drinking Gourd," sites for teachers to use with students and pictures of Harriet Tubman to view. We think that it is a fun way to learn and quiz yourself on what you know. You can also find a good list of books about the Underground Railroad.
Reviewed by Allecia and Lakeshia

Do you wonder what it must have felt like to have been slave attempting to runaway for your freedom? Would you get caught? How would you find people to help you? This site is Frederick Douglass' story of his escape. He first borrowed papers from a free slave to help him get started. At this site you can read the fascinating story about his life. Could you be as clever as he was to gain your freedom? You can find some primary source pictures and papers at this site, (http://www.cr.nps.gov/csd/exhibits/douglass/gallery4.htm) including a photo of his bill of sale for his freedom. In 1846 he was set free for $711.66. This site is a part of the American Visionaries site prepared by the National Park Service.
Reviewed by Megan and Ashlee

The Big Dipper in the night sky was referred to as the Drinking Gourd in a song about the Underground Railroad. When you first come to this site you see symbols of the Underground Railroad including the big dipper and the lantern to help find the way for those who traveled in the darkness of the night. Take the interactive Underground Railroad journey but be careful and make the right decisions so you don't get caught. This site has a good map of the routes that were traveled along with a very good descriptive timeline of events. There is a single page for kids but it is very interesting because it tells about places they might hide slaves in a house and more about Henry "Box" Brown who had himself shipped to freedom. There is also a section that shows pictures of twelve people who were an influential part of the Underground Railroad system and when you click on their picture you get a short summary of what they did. You can also send a friend a postcard about the Underground Railroad from this site.
Reviewed by Dezmond and Allecia