For Teachers: Activities and Lesson Plans:
How the Underground Railroad Got its Name

The Underground Railroad really began when the first slave escaped and the first person offered to help.  As early as 1786, George Washington complained on a trip through Pennsylvania that one of his slaves was helped by a “society of Quakers, formed for such purposes.”  But it was not until the emergence of the steam railroads in the early 1830s that the term “Underground Railroad” came into being. 

The system used code words common to the railroad, such as “conductor,” “station,” and “depot.” 

Find the hidden code words in this word search (PDF) developed by the Erie Times Newspapers in Education program.

Print out the answer key. (PDF)