Underground Railroad Worksheet

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the Underground Railroad?

A real railway that ran underground

A secret network to help enslaved people escape to freedom

A train system in South Carolina

2. What role did South Carolina play in the Underground Railroad?

It was only a starting point for escapes

It had no involvement in the Underground Railroad

It served as both a departure point and had brave people who helped escapees

3. What were the people called who helped guide enslaved people to freedom?

Conductors

Engineers

Passengers

✏️ Part 2: Short Answer Questions

4. Explain why the Underground Railroad was dangerous for both the escaped enslaved people and those who helped them.

5. Describe one way that people involved in the Underground Railroad communicated secretly or stayed hidden.

📝 Answer Key

1. A secret network to help enslaved people escape to freedom

2. It served as both a departure point and had brave people who helped escapees

3. Conductors

4. Sample answer: If caught, escaped enslaved people faced severe punishment or death, while those who helped them could be fined, imprisoned, or face violence from angry slave owners. The laws made helping escapees illegal.

5. Sample answer: They used coded songs, secret signals, safe houses with hidden rooms, travelled at night, used disguises, or communicated through trusted networks of abolitionists.