“Harriet Tubman, Henry Bibb, Anthony Burns, Addison White, Josiah Henson and John Parker -”(“Underground Railroad: A Pathway to Freedom” 1) . They were all well-known individuals who escaped slavery using the Underground Railroad. Starting in the late 1700s, many lives were put at risk for the sake of their freedom. The Underground Railroad was not only a secret system used to help fugitive slaves gain freedom, but it was an opportunity for a better life. While the Railroad had its advantages, it also had many drawbacks. The life of slavery had taken a toll on many lives, so they had to find a way north for a better chance of survival. At the time, by fleeing to the North, slaves would have been considered freed men and women, but with the creation of the Fugitive Slave Law, many African American men and women had to do much more to gain their freedom. The goal was freedom. that all the slaves were looking for. Every day of their lives they were not even considered a full-fledged person, but only three-fifths of one. Slaves had worked long hours in harsh conditions only to be disciplined when deemed appropriate. The only way to escape this madness was to flee the plantations as they had no rights before the court. Few had succeeded on their own, but many were captured and punished. The only way they could escape would be through the use of “a secret system developed to aid fugitive slaves in their escape to freedom.” (“Underground Railroad: A Pathway to Freedom” 1). With the use of the Underground Railroad, there were "conductors" (conductors were anti-slavery volunteers) who made it a priority to rescue runaway slaves and help them on the perilous journey north. “The Underground Railroad was organized first… middle of the paper… to keep moving forward and never give up on their goal. Without a goal in mind, you won't get very far in life. Works Cited "Civil War and Underground Railroad Timeline and Resources by American Historian Fergus Bordewich." Civil War and Underground Railroad timeline and resources by American historian Fergus Bordewich. Np, nd Web. April 15, 2014. Eastern Illinois University homepage. “Underground Railroad: A Path to Freedom. Np, nd Web. April 21, 2014.” Paths to Freedom | About the Underground Railroad." Paths to Freedom | About the Underground Railroad. Np, nd Web. April 19, 2014. "The Underground Railroad." The Underground Railroad. Np, nd Web. April 20, 2014. Tobin, Jacqueline, and Hettie Jones From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the New York Subway: Doubleday, 2007. Print.