Glossary of related terms:

abolitionist- An individual who worked to educate the public about the evils of slavery, spoke out against it, and assisted fugitive slaves directly or indirectly.

abolition movement- A social movement gaining momentum in the 1830s that advocated the end of slavery.

agent- A code word on the Underground Railroad, signifying a person who coordinated escapes and made contacts with potential station houses
auction block- The stand in a public arena upon which slaves stood and were sold to the highest bidder

baggage- A code word on the Underground Railroad signifying a slave who was being forwarded from one safe house to another. Also referred to as cargo, packages, freight, or a shipment.

bondage- The institution of slavery.

the borderland- The land north and south of the Ohio River where Underground Railroad activity flourished

bounty hunter- A slave catcher who captured runaway slaves and returned them to their masters for the reward money.

Civil War- The war in the United States (1861–1865) between the North (free states) and the South (slave states).

coffle- A caravan of slaves walking together.

conductor- A code word on the Underground Railroad signifying a person who transported slaves to their next stop.

drinking gourd- Another name for the Big Dipper, a constellation in the night sky. The two stars at the end of the Big Dipper pointed to Polaris, the North Star, which led the slaves northward toward freedom.

emancipation- The act of freeing a person from slavery.

foundry- A shop that melts iron by heating it and pours the liquid into molds.

free labor- The basis of the northern economy where workers chose where they worked and received a wage. (see slave labor)

free papers- Documentation stating the free status of a black person and listing his or her name, age, tone of skin color, height, form, and identifying marks or scars.

free states- States that did not allow slavery, commonly called the North.

fugitive- A slave who ran away from his or her master.

gag rule- A congressional ruling that prevented the discussion of a topic in Congress, such as abolishing slavery in 1836.

hiring out- The practice in which a slave was allowed to work for another person, handing all or a portion of his earnings to his master.

jump the broomstick- A slave marriage ritual whereby the couple jumped over a broomstick to signify their union in lieu of being married by a preacher.

line- A code word on the Underground Railroad signifying the route from one safe house to another.

manumission- The process of a slave being released from a master or mistress and obtaining his or her freedom. Legal papers were drawn up that stated such.

maroon society- A self-sufficient colony of slaves coexisting in an isolated area, such as a swamp or a mountainous area, remote enough to prevent detection from slave hunters.

Mason-Dixon Line- The boundary line dividing the northern free states from the southern slave states.

master- A man who owned a slave and had absolute control over his or her life.

mistress- A woman who owned a slave and had absolute control over his or her life.

mulatto- A person whose black ancestry is identified as one-half black blood. Commonly referred to as a person of black and white parentage.

overseer- A person who supervised the work of slaves.

passengers- A code word on the Underground Railroad signifying slaves who were being forwarded from one safe house to another until they reached freedom.

plantation- A unit of agricultural production dependent upon slave labor, utilizing over twenty slaves to grow rice, cotton, sugar, or tobacco crops.

Promised Land- A term for Canada, where slaves could finally be free without the threat of recapture.

skiff- A small boat with oars or sails, operated by one person.

slave- A person who is deprived of his or her freedom, has no control over his or her own life, works without receiving wages, and is owned by another person.

slave labor- The former basis of the southern economy, where slaves were forced to work for people who owned them, receiving food and lodging, but no pay. (see free labor)

slavery- Forcing human beings against their will to work for another person without pay, thus denying them the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

slave states- States that allowed slavery, commonly called the South.

station- A code word on the Underground Railroad signifying a temporary safe house, or hiding place.

station master- A code word on the Underground Railroad signifying the keeper or owner of a safe house.

Thirteenth Amendment- Constitutional law that made slavery illegal in 1865.

Underground Railroad- A symbolic term for the network of people banding together to assist slaves to freedom.