D2.His.10.6-8: Finding the Gaps in the Record of the Underground Railroad

Overview

Lesson Procedure

60-70 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes
2. Direct Instruction20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice15 minutes
5. Closure5-10 minutes

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "Imagine a historian in the year 2150 tries to learn about your school year using only what survives: a few photos, the school website and one teacher's grade book. What will the historian get right? What will be missing, and why?"

   List answers in two columns: "what survives" and "what is missing." Students usually name missing things quickly: texts between friends, jokes, what lunch tasted like, students who never appear in photos. Tell them that historians call everything that survives the historical record, and that part of a historian's job is to notice what is missing from it. Today they will look for the gaps in the record of one of the most secret movements in American history.

2. Direct Instruction20 minutes

   Give background in two minutes: the Underground Railroad was not a railroad. It was the name for the escapes of enslaved people and for the help some of them received on the way. Siebert calls the work "unlawful," and the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 (a federal law about returning people who had escaped slavery) made it more dangerous still. A freedom seeker is a person who escaped slavery; older sources often say "fugitive." People who sheltered freedom seekers were called station-keepers, and their homes stations; abolitionists were people who wanted slavery abolished, or ended. A reminiscence is a memory told or written down later. Then hand out the Gap Finder, an SVHS teaching tool.

   The Gap Finder (an SVHS teaching tool): five kinds of limitations in the historical record

   Kind of gap	What it means	A question to ask
   1. Never recorded	The information was never written down or recorded at all	Who had reasons not to write this down, or could not write?
   2. Destroyed or lost	A record was made, but it no longer exists	Was there a record once? What happened to it?
   3. Incomplete	Only part of a record survives, or details were left out on purpose	What is cut, blotted out or summed up in a few words?
   4. Missing voices	The record comes mostly from some groups of people and leaves out others	Whose side is told here, and whose is not?
   5. Changed over time	The account was recorded long after the events, so memory or retelling may have changed it	How many years passed? Has the story been retold?

   Read Source 1 aloud. Siebert, a history professor at Ohio State University, wrote it in 1898 while collecting evidence for his book. Model the Gap Finder on two of his examples, then on Sources 2 and 3 (the worked examples below). Stress that a gap is not a failure of the historian: it is information about the past. The gaps in this record exist because the work was secret and dangerous.

   1It is not surprising, in view of the unlawful nature of Underground Railroad service, that extremely little in the way of contemporaneous documents has descended to us even across the short span of a generation or two, and that there are few written data for the history of a movement that gave liberty to thousands of slaves. [...] Therefore, written evidence of complicity was for the most part carefully avoided; and little information concerning any part of the work of the Underground Road was allowed to get into print. It is known that records and diaries were kept by certain helpers; and a few of the letters and messages that passed between station-keepers have been preserved. These sources of information are as valuable as they are rare: they would doubtless be more plentiful if the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 had not created such consternation as to lead to the destruction of most of the telltale documents.

   [...]

   2[...] In the correspondence of Mr. David Putnam, of Point Hamar, near Marietta, Ohio, there were found a few letters relating to the journeys of fugitives. That even these few letters remain is doubtless due to neglect or oversight on the part of the recipient. It is noticeable that some of them bear unmistakable signs of intended secrecy, the proper names having been blotted out, or covered with bits of paper.

   3[...] Mr. Robert Purvis, of Philadelphia, states that he kept a record of the fugitives that passed through his hands and those of his coworkers in the Quaker City for a long period, till the trepidation of his family after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill in 1850 caused him to destroy it. Daniel Gibbons, a Friend, who lived near Columbia in southeastern Pennsylvania, began in 1824 to keep a record of the number of fugitives he aided. He was in the habit of entering in his book the name of the master of each fugitive, the fugitive's own name and his age, and the new name given him. The data thus gathered came in time to form a large volume, but after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law Mr. Gibbons burned this book. [...] Thus, the need of secrecy constantly served to prevent the making of records, or to bring about their early destruction. [...]

   1It is to be regretted that, owing to circumstances, the account of these persons has not been fully preserved. Could justice be done them, probably their narratives would not be surpassed in interest by any other in the history of fugitives. In 1857, when these remarkable travelers came under the notice of the Vigilance Committee, as Slavery seemed likely to last for generations, and there was but little expectation that these records would ever have the historical value which they now possess, care was not always taken to prepare and preserve them. Besides, the cases coming under the notice of the Committee, were so numerous and so interesting, that it seemed almost impossible to do them anything like justice. In many instances the rapt attention paid by friends, when listening to the sad recitals of such passengers, would unavoidably consume so much time that but little opportunity was afforded to make any record of them. Particularly was this the case with regard to the above-mentioned individuals. The story of each was so long and sad, that a member of the Committee in attempting to write it out, found that the two narratives would take volumes. That all traces, of these heroes might not be lost, a mere fragment is all that was preserved.

   1It is with the aid of such memorials that the present volume has been written. Reminiscences have been gathered by correspondence and by travel from many surviving abolitionists or their families; and recollections of fugitive slave days have been culled from books, newspapers, letters and diaries. [...]

   2Underground operations practically ceased with the beginning of the Civil War. In view of the lapse of time, the reasons for trusting the credibility of the evidence upon which our knowledge of the Underground Road rests should be stated. Some of the testimony dealt with in this chapter was put in writing during the period of the Road's operation, or at the close of its activity, and, therefore, cannot be easily questioned. But it may be said that a large part of the materials for this history were drawn from written and oral accounts obtained at a much later date; and that these materials, even though the honesty and fidelity of the narrators be granted, are worthy of little credit for historical purposes. Such a criticism would doubtless be just as applied to reminiscences purporting to represent particular events with great detail of narration, but clearly it would lose much of its force when directed against recollections of occurrences that came within the range of the narrator's experience, not once nor twice, but many times with little variation in their main features. It would be difficult to imagine an "old-time" abolitionist, whose faculties are in a fair state of preservation, forgetting that he received fugitives from a certain neighbor or community a few miles away, that he usually stowed them in his garret or his haymow, and that he was in the habit of taking them at night in all kinds of weather to one of several different stations, the managers of which he knew intimately and trusted implicitly. Not only did repetition serve to deepen the general recollections of the average operator, but the strange and romantic character of his unlawful business helped to fix them in his mind. [...]

   • Gap 1, never recorded (Source 1, paragraph 1)

     Siebert writes that "written evidence of complicity was for the most part carefully avoided." Complicity means taking part in something against the law.

     Result: Helpers chose not to write down what they did, because a written record could be used against them. Much of what happened was never recorded at all, so no search of archives (places that keep old records) can find it.

   • Gap 2, destroyed or lost (Source 1, paragraph 3)

     Robert Purvis of Philadelphia kept a record of the people he and his coworkers helped "for a long period." What happened to it?

     Result: He destroyed it because of "the trepidation of his family after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill in 1850." Trepidation means fear. A record existed once, so this is a different gap from Gap 1: we know a record was made, and we know why it is gone.

   • Gap 3, incomplete (Source 2)

     Still, who led the Philadelphia committee that aided freedom seekers, describes two men who came to the committee in 1857. How much of their story was kept?

     Result: Still writes that "a mere fragment is all that was preserved." A record exists, but only a small part of the story it could have told. Historians must say what the fragment shows and admit what it cannot show.

   • Gap 5, changed over time (Source 3, paragraph 2)

     Siebert explains where most of his own evidence came from.

     Result: He admits that "a large part of the materials for this history were drawn from written and oral accounts obtained at a much later date." Since the work "practically ceased with the beginning of the Civil War" in 1861, memories collected in the 1890s were set down about 30 years or more after the events.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Read Source 4 together. It is written by the National Park Service today. Pairs find one sentence in Source 4 for each of three gaps (never recorded, missing voices, changed over time) and one sentence that tells historians how to check a source. Define two words first: an oral tradition is a story passed down by speaking, often within a family or community, and to triangulate is to check one source against at least two others.

   1How do we know about the Underground Railroad?

   2While the Underground Railroad was illegal, and it was illegal to teach literacy to enslaved people, it is possible to know about the Underground Railroad. Oral traditions—first person accounts passed down through families or communities are an important source of information. African Americans, coming from a cultural tradition of griots (keepers of history and memory), often had specialized patterns for transmitting this knowledge. Today, oral traditions can be analyzed for their "genealogy" and specific facts or details that might be corroborated. All historical sources—written and oral—should be analyzed by triangulating the information with other sources. There remain a number of written sources that illuminate Underground Railroad history. Newspaper accounts of dramatic events and court cases related to the Fugitive Slave Acts sometimes provide important details. Records and petitions from churches, anti-slavery societies, and vigilance committees also contain information. A number of participants kept journals and wrote letters that survive. Many of these documents are still owned by descendants rather than being found in archives or libraries.

   3What are oral traditions?

   4Oral traditions can be broken down into three categories: myths, legends and personal or familial recollections. Myths are tales that explain the origin of things. Legends are tales that took place long ago, but in a time and place that is familiar to the teller and audience. They describe the exploits of people who are believed to have actually lived. Lastly, personal or familial accounts are told as true stories that took place in a known time. Researchers have found that some oral traditions are remarkably accurate portrayals of past events, while others appear fanciful. In general, myths rarely withstand the scrutiny of close study, while legends often turn out to be based on the actual exploits of real people, though exaggeration can reduce their accuracy. Personal and familial accounts are most easily tested and most likely to be accurate. With Underground Railroad oral traditions, there is generally some aspect of truth in the story. Analyzing the oral tradition and comparing it with data gleaned from other sources often reveals where the story may have evolved over time. However, they are an important part of unraveling the Underground Railroad past.

   Key. Never recorded: "it was illegal to teach literacy to enslaved people" (paragraph 2), so many freedom seekers could not leave written accounts. Missing voices: the same sentence, since a record made mostly by people who could write leaves out many who could not; oral traditions "passed down through families or communities" (paragraph 2) help bring those voices back. Changed over time: legends "often turn out to be based on the actual exploits of real people, though exaggeration can reduce their accuracy" (paragraph 4). How to check: "comparing it with data gleaned from other sources often reveals where the story may have evolved over time" (paragraph 4).

4. Independent Practice15 minutes

   Students read Source 5 on their own and answer in writing: (a) which gap in the record does paragraph 2 point to, if a history were built mainly from the memories of people who helped? (b) what evidence does the Park Service say is missing for the quilt code (paragraphs 4-5)? (c) one thing the Park Service still values about stories like this. Quiz Questions 14, 15 and 20 use Source 5.

   1What is the Underground Railroad?

   2The Underground Railroad refers to efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage. Wherever slavery existed, there were efforts to escape, at first to maroon communities in remote or rugged terrain on the edge of settled areas. While most freedom seekers began their journey unaided and many completed their self-emancipation without assistance, each decade in which slavery was legal in the United States saw an increase in active efforts to assist escape. In many cases, the decision to assist a freedom seeker may have been a spontaneous reaction as the opportunity presented itself. However, in some places, particularly after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Underground Railroad was deliberate and organized. Operatives worked through networks connected by family or faith.

   [...]

   3Did the Quilt Code exist?

   4Quilts and their use as a secret code along the Underground has generated lots of interest. Like many popular myths, the story highlights how the oppressed obtained secret knowledge that their oppressor could not discern. However, quilt codes are very controversial and are no longer widely accepted, as they lack historical documentation. This is not to discount the importance of oral history or the secrecy necessary for the Underground Railroad. Understanding how, where, and why significant oral traditions came about is incredibly important to how we understand the past.

   5A great deal of historical documentation exists describing how the Underground Railroad operated. After the United States abolished slavery, many people involved with the Underground Railroad shared their lived experiences or documentation they previously kept secret. Throughout these accounts, individuals who endured enslavement and the Underground Railroad provide examples of the coded language used by enslaved people or freedom seekers to discuss escape or other topics that would be dangerous to discuss in front of enslavers or people supportive of enslaving practices. To date, there has been no documented first-hand accounts of freedom seekers or allies interacting with the quilt code. Furthermore, many of the patterns cited as patterns used in the quilt code did not exist until after the Civil War.

5. Closure5-10 minutes

   Exit ticket: "Name two different kinds of sources about the Underground Railroad and one gap each kind is likely to have." (Sample: a helper's record kept at the time may have been destroyed after 1850; a memory written down in the 1890s may have changed over 30 years.)

   Teacher notes. (1) The 1872-1898 sources use the words of their time, such as "fugitives," "slaves" and "the master of each fugitive." The National Park Service now uses "freedom seeker," which its "What Is the Underground Railroad?" page calls "a more accurate description," and its "Language of Slavery" page prefers "enslaved person" to "slave" and "enslaver" to "master," because the older words reflect how slaveholding society saw people who were enslaved. Keep the older words inside quotations from the sources, and use the newer terms in class discussion and student writing. Point out the change in words as another sign that interpretations change over time. (2) Treat slavery and escape only through the documents; do not ask students to imagine themselves as enslaved people or as slave catchers. (3) If students ask about the quilt code or tunnels in a local house, use Source 5 and the Gap Finder: the question is what evidence exists, not whether the story is a good one.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   A helper's account book from 1855 survives. For each person helped, it lists only the date and the words "one traveler," with no name or story. Which gap does this show?

   ANever recorded BDestroyed or lost CIncomplete DChanged over time

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In 1898 a woman wrote down what she remembered about a night in 1852, when she was eight years old. Which gap should a historian think about first?

   ADestroyed or lost BIncomplete CNever recorded DChanged over time

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 1, paragraph 1, Siebert says some sources are "as valuable as they are rare." Which sources does he mean?

   ARecords and diaries kept by helpers, and a few letters BNewspaper stories printed about the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 CBooks written by historians after the Civil War DGovernment reports on how many people escaped

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 1, paragraph 2, why do some of David Putnam's letters still exist?

   APutnam gave all of them to a public library when the war ended BThey were kept by accident, through neglect or oversight CThe writers asked him to save them for history DA court ordered them to be kept as evidence

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 3, paragraph 2, what helped old abolitionists remember their work?

   ANotebooks they kept and reread every year after the war BDoing it many times, and its strange, romantic nature CNewspaper stories that printed their names each week DCourt records that listed every person they had helped

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 1, paragraph 3, what did Daniel Gibbons write in his book about each person he aided?

   AOnly the date of arrival and the number of people in each group BThe routes they took and every station at which they stopped CA long story of each escape told in the person's own words DThe enslaver's name, the person's name and age, and a new name

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 2, why was care "not always taken" in 1857 to prepare and preserve the committee's records?

   AThe committee was afraid the records would be stolen BSlavery seemed likely to last for generations CThe committee had no paper or ink to write with DStill was away from Philadelphia during that year

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   What other reason does Source 2 give for why so few records were made?

   AListening to the travelers' stories took up the time BThe travelers refused to tell their stories at all CThe committee did not believe most of the travelers' stories DThe law required the committee to burn its papers

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 3, paragraph 2, which testimony does Siebert say "cannot be easily questioned"?

   AMemories gathered in the 1890s by mail and visits BStories told by the children of abolitionists CAccounts printed in newspapers after the war DTestimony written down while the Road operated

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Source 4, paragraph 2, says that "Newspaper accounts of dramatic events and court cases" sometimes give important details. What gap might a history built mainly on newspapers have?

    AIt would leave out quiet escapes that never made the news BIt would leave out every escape that ended in Canada or Mexico CIt would include only escapes after the Civil War DIt would include only the stories of freedom seekers

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Source 4, paragraph 2, says many journals and letters "are still owned by descendants rather than being found in archives or libraries." What problem does this create for historians?

    AThe documents are probably fakes made by the families BThe documents can be harder to find and to study CThe documents cannot be primary sources any longer DThe documents must have been changed by the owners

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    According to Source 4, paragraph 4, which kind of oral tradition is "most easily tested and most likely to be accurate"?

    AMyths that explain the origin of things BLegends about people long ago CPersonal or familial accounts DSongs passed down by griots

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Source 4, paragraph 4, says myths "rarely withstand the scrutiny of close study." What does this mean?

    AWhen checked carefully, myths usually are not supported BMyths are always told by people who were not there CMyths are much too old to be studied by historians at all DHistorians are not allowed to study myths in archives

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Source 5, paragraph 2, says "most freedom seekers began their journey unaided." What gap could this reveal in a history built mainly from the memories of people who helped?

    ADestroyed or lost: the helpers burned their records BChanged over time: the helpers forgot the dates CMissing voices: escapes made alone may be left out DNever recorded: the helpers wrote nothing at all

15. Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    What does Source 5 conclude about the quilt code?

    AIt is proven by many first-hand accounts from the 1850s BIt lacks documentation, but oral history still matters CIt was invented by the National Park Service in 2022 DIt was used on every route that led to Canada

16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 1, paragraph 3, says Gibbons began his record in 1824 and burned it after the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. At least how many years of records were lost? Name two questions about the people he helped that historians can no longer answer.

    Show model answer

17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 3, paragraph 1, says recollections were "culled from books, newspapers, letters and diaries." Explain why a recollection printed in a newspaper in the 1890s still has the gap "changed over time," even though it is in print.

    Show model answer

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 4, paragraph 4, says legends "often turn out to be based on the actual exploits of real people, though exaggeration can reduce their accuracy." A family legend says a great-great-grandmother hid twelve people in her cellar in one night. What should a historian do with this legend?

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 1, paragraph 1, says only "a few of the letters and messages that passed between station-keepers have been preserved." Name two other kinds of sources a historian could use to fill this gap, and one limitation of each.

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 5, paragraph 5, says "many of the patterns cited as patterns used in the quilt code did not exist until after the Civil War." What kind of evidence is this, and why is it strong evidence against the quilt code story?

    Show model answer

These standards connect to D2.His.10.6-8: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

Standard text: National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (Silver Spring, MD: NCSS, 2013). NCSS was not involved in the production of this lesson and does not endorse it.