From the late 18th to mid-19th centuries, an extensive network conducted an endless amount of African American slaves out of southern bondage, and into the freedom of the Northern United States, and parts of Canada. This network came to be known as the Underground Railroad. From its name, the Underground Railroad appears as if it should have been a network of subterranean tunnels, tracks, and railcars, however, it was not. This railroad obtained its name from its necessity of secrecy, its various trails which were referred to as lines, its safe houses, which were called stations, the agents that assisted along the way, who were called conductors, and the slaves themselves who were called packages or freight (Underground Railroad.). The Underground Railroad accomplished such great feats due to abolitionists like Levi Coffin, conductors like Harriet Tubman, and stations like The Cataract House.
According to Larry Gara, the author of, “Coffin, Levi (1789-1877), abolitionist and merchant,” an American National Biography, Coffin was an abolitionist and Quaker, who earned the nickname, “President of the Underground Railroad,” due to his twenty plus years of leadership, and involvement with the Underground Railroad. In addition, to the nickname Coffin was given, Gara also discusses how roughly 100 fugitive slaves passed through Coffin’s station, and lands yearly on their way North, and how his properties in those twenty plus years were never searched by the authorities due to Coffin’s covert nature. The amount of fortitude, and conviction that Coffin and his wife must have possessed to outweigh the constant stress, fear, and anxiety he and his wife must have lived under for all those years is nothing less than astounding and admirable.
In addition to abolitionists like Levi Coffin, another crucial part of the Underground Railroad was its conductors, and Harriet Tubman is arguable the most famous of them all. Sara Ann McGill, the author of “Harriet Tubman” a biography, explains how Tubman was born a slave, and how at a young age displayed her grit by diving in front of a brick aimed at another slave attempting escape. Many believed that this action along with the blunt force trauma to her head gave Tubman prophetic visions, which she later used in life to aid escaping slaves traveling along the Underground Railroad. In one such instance, McGill tells the story of how Tubman received a vision that involved her brothers Benjamin and Robert in danger.
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In recourse, Tubman wrote a coded message to a known sympathizer in the area to verify the accuracy of her vision. McGill goes onto explain how on Christmas Eve in 1854 Tubman found her brothers and numerous other slaves, and conducted them north into Canada and their freedom. I only imagine what life, as a conductor must have been like, arduous to say the least, moving through hostile territory with slave-catchers, dogs, police, and militia on your tail. Nevertheless, none of these hindrances mattered to Tubman, she had a duty, a god given mission to help her brethren, and she was more than willing to give her life in its service.
With the assistance of abolitionists like Coffin, and conductors like Tubman, slaves would find themselves at a station, one such station was The Cataract House. The Cataract House was a hotel located in Niagara Falls and was only one quick rowboat or bridge crossing away from freedom. Under the direction of headwaiter, John Morrison, countless slaves were ferried across the Niagara, and all of this done with the aid of his army of black waiters. It is said that, “Working together as a well-organized group, they were ready to act at a moment’s notice to help people cross the river to freedom, even to the point of street action to stop slave-catchers physically” (Site of the Cataract House. 20).
When I went to the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, I saw numerous documentaries and ledgers related to the underground, and the Cataract House; but the thing I remember the most was how the waiters and the entire black community worked together. The story of Patrick Sneed, a Cataract House waiter, accused of murder stayed with me the most. Constables tricked Sneed into handcuffs, and a small battle erupted between hundreds of black men, and hundreds of Irish men the Constables had conscripted to bring Sneed into custody. After a long battle, Constables arrested Sneed; however, sometime later, Sneed’s innocence came out. What I found most intriguing about this story is how the entire black community of Niagara Falls rose up for just one man. The lengths these men and women were willing to go for one of their own and the feeling of comradery felt by all is nothing less than inspiring.
Without the assistance of abolitionist, conductors and well run stations the Underground Railroad would never have been an achievable goal and would have never succeeded. Luckily, there were people like Levi Coffin, Harriet Tubman, and station like the Cataract House to aid in the transportation and housing of “fugitive slaves.” People always say they would do the right thing, when they see an injustice; but these people actually did, and in doing so gave us an example we all can aspire to.
