DETROIT – The Underground Railroad -- dangerous path to freedom for slaves -- ran through Metro Detroit before heading into Canada.. Here’s a look at … During the late 18th and early to mid-19th century, a network of people, secret routes, and safe houses existed in the U.S. to enable African-American slaves to escape to the north. Descendants toured the Second Baptist Church.Abolitionist George DeBaptiste church,Second Baptist Church played a commanding role in ameliorating Underground Railroad consummation for abolitionists including Frederick Douglass,Sojourner Truth,and John Brown. Second Baptist Church was an important station on the Underground Railroad, and it was here in Detroit where Frederick Douglass met John Brown to … The last stop along the Underground Railroad in Michigan before freedom seeks made it to Canada was Detroit. Detroit’s Decisive Role in the Underground Railroad. With Thuso Mbedu, Chase Dillon, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Pierre. Over 50,000 people traveled through Detroit, or “midnight” as it was referred to in the mid 1800s. 1 review of Underground Railroad Living Museum "I volunteered for our fourth grade class field trip. Thornton and Lucie Blackburn June 17 1833 Detroit - Essex County Ontario, Toronto. The Underground Railroad, pathway to freedom for enslaved African-Americans in the early 1800’s, figured prominently in Detroit’s history. Duration: 04:52 2/23/2021. A young woman named Cora makes an amazing discovery during her attempt to break free from slavery in the deep south. This was a field trip through history, we all will always remember. Detroit, whose code name was “Midnight” on the Underground Railroad, was a pivotal location on the network. The First Congregational Church in Detroit has transformed its lower level into a living replica of the Underground Railroad. Black people in southern states seeking to escape bondage made their way north, often with Detroit as their goal with its proximity to Canada and the promise of a free life. Though Cincinnati may be home to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, according to Loomis, Detroit was the busiest ‘railroad’ station before the Civil War, seeing as many as 40,000 African-Americans pass through to safety in nearby Canada.As a result, numerous secret societies arose there in the 1840s, as the abolitionist movement gained steam. As such, there are many “stations” and historic sites to check out in Detroit. How Detroit played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad. In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, settlements along the Detroit and Niagara Rivers were important terminals of the Underground Railroad.