Freedom Train. Clowes Sheets Study Guide for Teachers and Students. Presented by TheatreWorks USA

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1 Freedom Train Presented by TheatreWorks USA A Story That Speaks To All People Up creek beds, through swamps, over hills and through dark and dangerous wooded areas is how the slaves, led by conductors, escaped to the North. The most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman. After escaping from slavery herself in 1849, she returned to the South again and again, at great risk, to lead others to freedom. Thus, she earned the title Moses. Freedom Train tells the story of a very courageous woman who risked everything to lead more than 300 slaves to freedom. This heroic story is a musical and portrays themes of courage, dedication, equality, survival, and most important, love. Do you think you could have done the same as Harriet Tubman? Could you have made the same decisions to escape to the North and risk your life to help others escape, too? Get ready to see a powerful story on the Clowes Hall Stage and relive history as you may have never experienced before!

2 Know the Code There are several words with which you need to become familiar to understand the play. Here s a list of some words you would have heard and used if you lived in the 1800s: Abolitionist: a person who supported the movement to abolish or end slavery Bounty Hunter: a person who tracks down and captures outlaws in return for a reward Conductors: people who directly transported runaways Drinking Gourd: a code term for the North Star Fugitive: a person who flees; a runaway Fugitive Slave Laws: a number of laws that regulated the return of slaves who had escaped Go Free: a code word used by slaves for escape Heaven: a code word used by slaves for Canada Mason-Dixon Line: the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania that was known as the border between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North Operator: a person who helped runaway slaves by hiding them in their homes and/or providing food Quakers: members of a religion called the Society of Friends Safe Houses: a term used by the Underground Railroad to describe houses belonging to people involved in helping slaves escape Underground Railroad: not a real railroad and not underground - a term used to describe the network of people who helped slaves escape to freedom

3 All Aboard! About the Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of people and houses throughout sixteen northern U.S. states and Canada. It was organized to help escaped slaves reach safety. From about , such activities were against the law. Underground Railroad workers and fugitive slaves therefore had to carry out in secret- often in darkness or disguise. As many as 100,000 fugitive slaves traveled the Underground Railroad s routes north to freedom. By the early 1800 s, fugitive slaves had many sympathizers in the North, including free African Americans, abolitionists, and church groups such as the Quakers, Congregationalists and Methodists. These agents of the Underground Railroad ran safe houses to harbor the escaping slaves on their way north. They served as conductors leading the fugitives to the next station or resting place. They also raised money, collected food and clothing for the cause, and worked politically (starting newspapers, giving speeches, working to get laws passed) to end slavery. The courage and perseverance of the fugitive slaves, combined with these efforts by the agents formed the backbone of the Underground Railroad.

4 Did You Know? The North Star led the way for slaves on clear nights. Most escapes were planned for Saturdays because it gave the slaves more time before they were discovered in the morning. The Underground Railroad was not organized until the 1830 s. Over 3,000 people helped on the Underground Railroad. One man freed 28 slaves by organizing them in a funeral procession. By 1844, over 40,000 slaves had escaped to Canada. Some escaped slaves became Seminoles, a Native American tribe. The name means runaways.

5 Read this famous poem, then think about the questions below. Leaves of Grass By Walt Whitman The runaway slave came to my house and stopt outside. I heard his motions crackling the twigs of the woodpile, Through the swung half-door of the kitchen I saw him limpsy and weak, And went where he sat on a log and led him and assured him, And brought water and fill d a tub for his sweated body and bruis d feet, And gave him a room that enter d from my own, and gave him some coarse clean clothes, And remembered perfectly well his revolving eyes and awkwardness, And remember putting plasters on the galls of his neck and ankles; He stayed with me a week before he was recuperated and pass s north, I had him sit next to me at table, my fire-lock lean d in corner. What Would You Do? After reading Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, think and discuss the following: Imagine you lived in 1851, and a runaway slave came to your door one night asking for food and shelter. Would you do the same as the person in the poem? What would be the consequences of taking care of the runaway slave? What dangers are involved for you and your family when helping a runaway slave? What may happen if you were discovered helping a runaway slave? What would be the consequences of turning the runaway slave away? How do you think your community would support or not support those who need assistance?

6 Levi Coffin House Was an Indiana Stop on the Underground Railroad Life for a runaway slave was full of danger. Many times escaped slaves would hide in homes of antislavery supporters. These stops were called Underground Railroad stations because they resembled stops a train would make between destinations. One such station was the Levi Coffin House. Levi and Catherine Coffin were legendary in helping former slaves escape to freedom in the North. Levi is often referred to as the President of the Underground Railroad. Their house, a registered National Historic Landmark, is located in Fountain City, Indiana. During the 20 years they lived in Newport, the Coffins helped more than 2,000 slaves reach safety. The slaves used three main routes to cross into freedom: Madison and Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Escaping slaves could be hidden in this small upstairs room and the beds be moved in front of the door to hide it.

7 Could You Be Related to an Underground Railroad Operator? Here are the names of the operators and conductors and the Indiana counties in which these people lived. Do any of these names sound familiar? If the county in which you live is not listed below, can you find it on the map? 1- Bartholomew 4-Howard 7- Wayne Unknown County Hall, Johnson Newsom, Willis Thomas, John Waers 2- Boone Johns, Samuel 3- Hendricks Harvey, Harlan Harvey, Dr. T.B. Harvey, Dr. Wm. F Hobbs, Elisha Jones, Daniel Charles, John 5- Morgan Clark, Daniel Williams Coe, John Coffin, Levi 6-Tippecanoe Edergton, Thomas Falley, Lewis Hayworth, James Hockett, Moses Hill, Daniel Hollingsworth, Benjamin Huff, Daniel Hollingsworth, John Wilcuts, David Robinson, John Williams, John F. Wooton, Martha Brandt, Hon, Isaac Maxwell Smith, Dr. A.J. Talberts

8 Understanding the Rules of Theatre: Theatrical Conventions Performers will play more than one role in the play called doubling. Actors will freeze in position in full view of the audience. This indicates the audience should not focus on them until they begin to move and speak again. Split stage effect is a technique of using two sides of the stage for scenes that occur simultaneously in different locations. Actors will speak directly to the audience in order to provide the audience with necessary or important information. Voices from offstage will indicate a character we must imagine. Character changes will occur right before your very eyes with quick prop and costume changes.

9 Now You ve Experienced Freedom Train Did you like the way the costumes were designed for the characters? Did the costumes make sense with the time period? Were the set (background) and props (things the characters hold or use when acting) easy to believe or work well with the performance? Did the actors chosen for the character parts do a good job in their roles? What character was your favorite? Was the script written well by the playwright? How were sound effects and lighting used to enhance the performance? Did you have to use your imagination to enjoy the performance? What was your favorite scene? Why? Did you enjoy the performance? Why or why not? How would you rate the performance on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being one of the best performances you ve ever seen? Harriet Tubman Thank you for coming to see a performance at the Butler Arts Center, Clowes Memorial Hall. We hope you ll come back to see another wonderful and engaging performance! Visit our website at for upcoming events! Ty Sutton Executive Director Donna Rund Interim Education Manager Allie Combs Assistant Education Coordinator Written and edited by Donna Rund Designed by Butler University Butler Arts Center, Clowes Memorial Hall Education Department 4602 Sunset Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana

Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman. and the Underground Railroad. and the Underground Railroad LEVELED READER BOOK SA. www.readinga-z.

Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman. and the Underground Railroad. and the Underground Railroad LEVELED READER BOOK SA. www.readinga-z. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad A Reading A Z Level S Leveled Book Word Count: 1,260 LEVELED READER BOOK SA Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Written by Terry Miller Shannon Illustrated