The Underground Railroad was a system of routes and safe houses which were created in the early 19th century in order to aid the escape of African American Slaves from the Southern States to the northern States and Canada.
"Conductors" was the name by which the people who had greater knowledge about the connection between secret paths were called. Conductors were composed of free-born African Americans and white abolitionists.
Often times the African residents of regions that became rich due to exports of local natural resources would take positions of power in government which sometimes led to corrupt government that became very extractive.
