The Ohio Underground Railroad System

The Underground Railroad system in the state of Ohio played a critical role in helping the abolitionist movement in a couple of ways. It helped slaves escape to freedom in Canada, and abolitionists created groups like the American Anti-Slavery Society which took action against slavery. The Underground Railroad helped slaves escape to slavery and gain freedom, so they could create a better life for themselves.
The Underground Railroad was a system of safe houses and hiding places that helped slaves escape to freedom (Underground Railroad). White and African-American’s acted as “conductors” and helped guide slaves from place to place (Underground Railroad). People who disliked slavery and felt it should be outlawed were known as abolitionists, …show more content…
This group was called the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society and it was based out of Zanesville in April of 1835 (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). These men that were apart of this group were mostly affiliated with Oberlin College (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). This group was based off of the American Anti-Slavery Society (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society had about 10,000 people in it by the end of 1836 (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). The group had many goals, however, these goals were not very popular among a multitude of Ohioans (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). Some people believed that African Americans would come to the North and take jobs away (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). The group held an annual meeting in Granville (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). In 1836, a mob formed outside the meeting house and attacked “with fists and raw eggs” (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). The members of the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society even used media to spread the word about their cause. In September 1817, Charles Osborn started a newspaper, The Philanthropist, and it was the first anti-slavery newspaper in the United States (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). This newspaper was based out of the city of Mount Pleasant, Ohio (Society of Friends). This paper was published by many people through the years. Eventually a man, James Birney, took over the paper in 1836 and stuck with the same views that Osborn had in the very beginning of the newspaper (The Philanthropist). Birney took over the paper in Cincinnati (The Philanthropist). Birney not only wanted an immediate end to slavery, but also wanted African Americans to have equal rights and opportunities as white people (The Philanthropist). Many people from Cincinnati wanted the city government to forbid the publication because they did not support some of the views of Birney (Ohio Anti-Slavery Society). A mob of Cincinnatians destroyed the newspaper’s print