Asia Amparo
B Block
Research Paper
4.12.16
The Life of David Ruggles
The Abolitionist movement was an attempt to end slavery in a nation that "valued personal freedom", and "believed that all men are created equal". Over time abolitionists grew more harsh in their demands, and slave owners became more tough. One abolitionist who took a very violent approach to gain rights for African Americans, was David Ruggles. He never faced any problems with prejudice anyone until he moved to New York City. Ruggles was a free African American abolitionist who took a violent approach to end slavery when most people thought violence would only make the situation worse. He participated in the New York Committee of Vigilance. He was also an active member and conductor of the Underground Railroad. He put his safety on the line again and…show more content… It got its name because its activities had and would be secretive and because railway terms were used by those involved with systems to describe how it worked. Routes were the lines, stopping places were called stations, those who helped were conductors, and their charges were called packages or freight. Those who helped assisted the slaves to freedom were members of a free black community. Ruggles helped more than a hundred runaway slaves escape past the Mason Dixon line using the underground railroad. He also would keep the slaves in his home which was very dangerous because if he got caught harboring a slave he could be thrown in prison. The Fugitive Slave Acts were quickly met with criticism. Northerners got angry at the idea of turning their states into a hunting ground for bounty hunters. Many argued the law was equivalent to legalized kidnapping. Some abolitionists organized secret resistance groups and built safehouses to help slaves in their escape to the North. Refusing to comply in the institution of slavery, most Northern states purposely neglected to enforce the
