A Glossary of UGRR Terms

abolitionist- an individual who worked to educate the public about the evils of slavery, spoke out against the institution, 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 whose two stars 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 pouring 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 upon which 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 and 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