History of the Underground Railroad- The Abolitionists
and the Establishment of the Underground Railroad
While the stringent laws of The Fugitive Slave Act were being
enforced and the institution of slavery continued unabated, many
abolitionists (people who did not believe in the institution of
slavery and worked to end it) assisted escaped slaves regardless
of the consequences. These abolitionists, who were primarily
composed of Quakers, ex-slaves and other liberal thinking citizens,
helped establish what was known as the Underground Railroad.