Learning about the history of the Underground Railroad? Christian kids will love these Underground Railroad history facts!
Image: Underground Railroad Monument in Windsor Ontario, Picture by M. Readey, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
Do your kids know about a major movement in American history? The Underground Railroad was a deliberate act of civil disobedience, largely started, staffed, and operated by Christians who believed that chattel slavery was unbiblical. These Christians believed they had exhausted legal remedies to slavery.
Still, they saw humans made in the image of God suffering and abused. And so, they acted, working to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
History of the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad wasn’t actually a railroad. Rather, it was a loosely organized society of people working to free enslaved people in America.
The Underground Railroad began in the United States in the early 1800s, and it ended during the American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865). Approximately 150,000 African Americans were freed from slavery between 1830 and 1860.
The Underground Railroad also helped lead to the overturn of ungodly laws, a civil war, and the freedom of more than 4,000,000 Americans.
Underground Railroad History Facts
Take a look at some fascinating Underground Railroad facts that your kids will love.
- The Underground Railroad began during a time when “railroad fever” was sweeping across America. Americans loved the imagery of a train going through a tunnel representing runaway slaves disappearing. Abolitionists leaned into the analogy, using terms like conductor, passenger, station, and lines.
- Some passengers on the Underground Railroad did ride trains, but many walked, sailed in boats, or hid in wagons. One man shipped himself to freedom in a wooden box!
- The Underground Railroad worked because some areas of the United States had laws that provided more freedom for all people than other American states. If someone could reach Canada, they were truly free–and probably pretty cold, since the weather was sometimes harsh.
- Many workers on the Underground Railroad were Christians. They risked their lives rescuing people from chattel slavery because they believed that when God said in his Word that steal a man and sell him or to possess or enslave another person is a sin, that God meant it (Exodus 21:16, 1 Timothy 1:10). In one town, a faithful pastor worked to recruit his church members to help fleeing slaves.
- You might be surprised by the types of people who worked on the Underground Railroad. There were children, former slaves, and even enslaved people who helped other people run from slavery. In fact, there were people who remained enslaved on purpose, because it helped them serve others better.
Those are just a few basic facts about the Underground Railroad. There are so many amazing stories of Christians loving one another during a hard time in history.
Your children will love What Was the Underground Railroad?. They’ll learn how ordinary Christians can drastically change the lives of their neighbors when they obey God’s laws.
The Underground Railroad | History for Kids
In a fun and engaging tone, the narrative Christian history book What Was the Underground Railroad? will help your kids see how God sovereignly arranged events to allow ordinary Christians to overcome a terrible injustice. Your kids will learn the stories of many followers of Jesus who contributed to the freedom of others, and read stories of those who escaped enslavement. They’ll see, too, how those same ordinary Christians were willing to sacrifice their own comfort, freedom, and even lives in pursuit of justice for their fellow human beings.
What Was the Underground Railroad? chapters:
- Introduction: Modern Trains and Ancient Slavery
- Chapter One: This Way to Freedom
- Chapter Two: Paying for Tickets
- Chapter Three: A Place to Rest
- Chapter Four: The Light is On
- Chapter Five: All Aboard
- Chapter Six: Last Stop
- Chapter Seven: Underground Railroad: The Truth
- Timeline
Purchase What Was the Underground Railroad?
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Christian History Matters for Our Kids.
History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.
Here’s why:
- God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
- Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
- Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
- Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
- Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.
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