The first abolitionist group appeared in the U.S. in the mid-1700s. Despite this early start, abolition didn’t gain major traction in the U.S. until about the 1820s. What we know today as the Underground Railroad has origins just as long.
There are many misconceptions surrounding the Underground Railroad. It wasn’t run by a single organization or person but was in fact a network of individuals. While many whites participated, it was predominantly made up of black people. It gained the name “The Underground Railroad” around 1830. The Underground Railroad may not have been an actual railroad, or have been underground,
