Despite the profitability of small-scale slavery, it had been dead in the north for some time. For example, Vermont had entered anti-slavery clause to their costitution in 1777; Massachusetts and New Hampshire after about 6 years. Gradually slavery became no more as Pennsylavania abolited it in 1780,Connecticut in 1784, Rhode island in 1784, New York in 1788 and finally New Jersey in 1804. One of the reasons for these abolitment in the north was the liberating philosophy of the Revolutioary period. Whereas the ethical questions can not go unnotices, there was also a more logic based reason; Northern slavery did not play an important roll in economic investment and the number of prosporous free blacks caused few problems (Moore,20-21). .
The underground railroad, the route to freedom, was actually not a railroad nor underground. In all actuality it was a series of routes through which systematic and highly organized aid was given to fugative slaves on their way to freedom in the northern states (Dumond, 359). The term underground was coined because of the secrete nature of the operation which was aided by the fact that the travels usually took place at night. The term railroad refered to the paths taken by the fugitives across the border that separated north from south (Cayton, 270). The Underground railroad is recorded to have allowed for an estimated amount of 100,000 slaves to obtain their freedom (Dumond, 360). Possible because of the reference to a railroad, those that helped to guide the fugitives were called conducters, the fugitives were passengers, and the homes, shops and other buildings in which run-aways were offered food, shelter, money and medical attention were called stations (Cayton 270). Fugatives were constantly on the move to the next station; however important, increasing the chances of capture by a by-stander who happened to be curious by a number of Negroes running at night even when excorted by whites.
