The Underground Railroad and Iowa On the Road from...

The Underground Railroad and Iowa: On the Road from Slavery to Freedom â€Å"I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person†¦ There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and I felt like I was in Heaven.† Harriet Tubman uttered these words when she arrived in Pennsylvania, a free woman at last (National Geographic). Years later, when talking about the reasons she ran away, Ms. Tubman would state, â€Å"[There are] two things I [have] a right to and these are Death and Liberty. One or the other I mean to have. No one will take me back alive† (America’s Civil War, 42). While most research on the Underground Railroad focuses on the northern states, the state of Iowa played an essential role in the†¦show more content†¦In 1850, representatives of Clinton County tried to introduce the bill again. Both houses opposed it, but eventually the bill passed and the governor signed it. However, there was an important stipulation to the bill; it could only go into effect after it w as published in the newspapers; Iowa City Reporter and the Iowa Freeman of Mt. Pleasant. Fortunately, the Freeman refused to publish it, thus effectively stopping the bill from becoming law (History of Clinton County, 54). Nevertheless, there was another legal move to block runaway slaves from achieving freedom, this time from the United States Government. Before the Federal Government passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, slaves felt safe if they could run away to a free state. However, after this law went into effect slave catchers everywhere hunted them. The Fugitive Slave Act brought the problem of slavery to â€Å"Iowa’s doorstep† (History of Clinton County, 54). People protested against the Fugitive Slave Act by providing assistance, either directly or indirectly, to runaway slaves. â€Å"Nearly 100 Iowans flouted the law and some judges ignored it† (History of Clinton County, 55). However, few Clinton County residents could actively participate in the dangerous and illegal work of the Underground Railroad. Most of the citizens gave money, shelter, andShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Road to Freedom—the Underground Railroad2714 Words   |  11 PagesThe Road to Freedom—the Underground Railroad Introduction Many times I have suffered in the cold, in beating rains pouring in torrents from the watery clouds, in the midst of the impetuosity of the whirlwinds and wild tornadoes leading on my company—not to the field of...war...but to the land of impartial freedom, where the bloody lash was not buried in the quivering flesh of a slave.... (7,p.i). Such were the conditions of the Underground Railroad. It was a fictitous railroad butRead MoreThe Election Of 1848 And Emerging Sectional Divide Between The North And The South Over The Issue Of Slavery1708 Words   |  7 Pagesthe north and the south over the issue of slavery. The was the 16th presidential election held on November 7, 1848. Zachary Taylor, who was a member of the Whig party won over Martin Van Buren of the free soil party. Slavery was defined as a legal or economic system in which principles of property law were applied to humans allowing them to be classified as property, to be owned, bought and sold accordingly, and they could not withdraw unilaterally from the arrangement. Two societies, two regionsRead MoreCompromises of 1820 and 18502024 Words   |  9 Pages1820 and 1850. Slavery came about in America in 1619 (RN). It lasted through the American Revolution, even after Thomas Jefferson scripted his famous lines in the Declaration of Independence, All men are created equal. They are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Clearly, slaves were not part of this included in Jeffersons words. When it came time to write the Constitution, the word slavery was never usedRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesNot Treating It Fairly ..................................................................... 174 Not Accepting the Burden of Proof ............................................................................................. 175 Diverting Attention from the Issue ............................................................................................. 176 Re-defining the Issue ....................................................................................................................