Not many slaves escaped to freedom. Out of the millions of slaves in the South, there were only 1,000 to 1,500 reported as runaways each year.

The reason why most slaves didn't try to escape was because of fear of the unknown North and of getting caught and punished.  Yet, people still found ways to escape. About 100,000 slaves escaped to freedom.

Harriet Tubman was a famous conductor. She made nineteen dangerous trips from the South to the free states and Canada.  She helped about 300 slaves escape to freedom in the 10 year span between 1850 to 1860.

The Underground Railroad was a network of people that helped slaves escape to freedom.  Nobody really knows when it started, but people think it started around 1830. It ended when the Civil War started in 1861.

Some slaves escaped to freedom, but many had to stay in the harsh conditions of slavery.  The Underground Railroad helped a lot of them, and it saved many people.