In the 1850s, the citizens of Maryland were divided over the future of slavery in the Union. The topic was highly controversial and many were reticent about expressing their views, since emotions often turned to dangerous wrath when discussing the pros and cons.

Graham Johnson, a docent at the Montgomery County Historical Society in Rockville said, “People kept their views concerning slavery to themselves for fear of being hung for helping slaves escape, murdered or run out of the county.”

Slaves were considered a necessity by many in Maryland and throughout the South for cultivating wheat and tobacco, performing domestic duties or skilled labor. Slave owners viewed their slaves as property, sources of revenue, status symbols, and important investments.

During the first half of the 19th century, there were 89,000 slaves in Maryland and almost 4 million in the South. Many lived in Montgomery County and surrounding counties. Rockville’s Beale family owned 83 slaves; many were set free after slavery was prohibited in 1864. None of the Beale slaves ever ran away, perhaps a clue that they were treated well. However, Josiah Henson, a slave at the North Bethesda Riley Farm and many others did escape to Canada on the Underground Railroad. His log cabin has been preserved as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and stands at 11420 Old Georgetown Road. A slave auction was located in South Rockville and other signs of former slaves are prevalent in the region.

Because Maryland possesses vast forests and numerous waterways for hiding, transportation and directional guidance and an abundance of abolitionists who did not believe in slavery, run-away slaves from the South chose to head to the Pennsylvania border through Maryland. Until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, as soon as a slave slipped into Pennsylvania, he or she was considered free. However after the Act was passed, “free” states were compelled to return slaves to their states and owners.

Abolitionists realized that an enormous clandestine escape network was required to help the slaves travel to freedom – and that it could only be built through trust and scrutiny of courageous citizens who were dedicated to ending slavery and freeing the slaves. Neither “underground” nor a “railroad,” the informal system provided slaves the opportunity to flee their living conditions to freedom — although that very freedom could also be a difficult path for them to follow and maintain. It is estimated that at its height between 1810 and 1850, nearly 100,000 slaves escaped via the Underground Railroad.

Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville, Olney and Sandy Spring were all sites for the Underground Railroad. Some of these include Glenview (the Rockville Civic Center) which still has the tunnels used by slaves escaping to the McGrath Farm, St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Viers Mill Road where underground railroad agents operated and helped slave fugitive Ann Maria Weems escape to freedom in 1854 and many locations in the Sandy Spring area (near Olney.) Sandy Spring was the home of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, who had built the area into a prosperous farming and commercial center. The Friends’ Meeting House, erected in 1817, was the center of religious and community life. Even though slavery was not abolished in Maryland until 1864, Maryland Quakers outlawed the owning of slaves by its members in 1777. In Sandy Spring, free blacks were permitted home ownership and were also allowed to organize churches, schools, and an array of social clubs, although such public gatherings were extremely dangerous in this anti-abolitionist county. Local patrols and slave catchers stalked the fields and woods. Quakers and free blacks assisted escaping slaves via the secret “Underground Railroad.” It is rumored that the fugitive slave, Dred Scott stayed in the log cabin home of Enoch George Howard while the U.S. Supreme Court deliberated whether to send Scott back to his Missouri owner. Montgomery County attorney Montgomery Blair unsuccessfully defended him.

The Underground Railroad in Montgomery County is the topic of many National Park Service (NPS) guided tours and activities. From the first week in April through November, the NPS conducts free guided tours of “The Underground Railroad Experience Trail.” This trail commemorates involvement of Montgomery County residents in the Underground Railroad and celebrates the Quaker heritage and traditions of Sandy Spring. The guided hike lasts 2.5 hours and is provided by volunteer "conductors" who lead groups on a simulated Underground Railroad experience covering 2.0 miles from Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park along a wooded, natural surface trail to the historic Sandy Spring, then back to the park. Hikers will learn about various techniques that "freedom seekers" used to elude trackers, find food, and navigate their way North to freedom. The Underground Railroad Experience Trail is part of the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.

The Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park is open dawn to dusk to the public who would like to take self-guided tours. Parking is available behind the Manor. This 2 mile trail is natural surface and includes interpretive sign markers. Trail stops include Woodlawn Manor and the Stone Barn and the Sandy Spring itself. One half-mile north of the spring is a 300-year-old Champion White Ash tree. The trail activities include hiking and horseback riding but bicycles are not permitted.

Some of the Underground Railroad sites on the trail include the Woodlawn Manor and barn, a Georgian style brick home built around 1800 by the Thomas family who were prominent Quakers. The stone barn was most-likely used as a hiding place for escaping slaves. After resting in the barn, slaves would strike out north through the woods and the brambles, hopefully in a rain storm that would wash away their tracks and make it difficult for dogs to follow their scent.

On the trail is a large hollow tree that could be used by fugitives as hiding places. The hollow tree could also be used as a cache for food and water provided by friends helping the fugitives. Often boundary stones, bent trees or rocks piled in a certain way could serve as trail markers.

The slaves were faced with many obstacles. Since most could not swim, creeks and rivers were formidable barricades. Sometimes a hidden boat or a kind person would ferry than across the stream. Once they reached the Sandy Spring, they would be provided with fresh water — and a meeting place and trail marker. When they finally arrived at the 300-year-old Champion White Ash Tree, they would know that they were headed in the right direction toward freedom.

Jill Lavin of Potomac recently explored the Underground Railroad Experience Trail. “It was fascinating to me, since I didn’t realize that Montgomery County was a part of this historical movement. Walking this trail makes the plight of the slaves so real — I can imagine what it must have been like trying to flee north through corn fields and the woods at night — and hiding out during the day. I also found the Slave Museum and the Sandy Spring Museum very moving and informative,” she said.

Another site of Underground Railroad activity and NPS- guided tours is the Josiah Henson Park, located on the historic Isaac Riley Farm in North Bethesda where the Rev. Josiah Henson lived and worked as a slave from 1795 to 1830. This park is a historic resource of local, state, national and international significance because of its association with Reverend Henson, whose 1849 autobiography, “The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave,” inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel, “Uncle Tom's Cabin.”

The park is currently open only during a limited number of dates each season. On Feb. 21 and 28 from noon – 4 p.m., the NPS will provide a guided tour “A Walk in Father Henson’s Footsteps.” This walk will provide an opportunity to retrace the footsteps of Henson from his enslavement to freedom in Canada on the Underground Railroad as well as the chance to explore the grounds where he toiled as a slave. Also every Saturday in February, “The Search for Josiah Henson,” a PBS Time Team America documentary film will be shown at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 28, a Spoken Word Poetry Event, "Lyrical Rhythms: The Sounds of Freedom," will be featured. Participants of all ages and races are welcome to create and share their own “sounds of freedom” in the form of original poetry, song or other artistic expressions. A reception with light refreshments immediately follows.

Parking for Josiah Henson Park events is available only at the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center, 5900 Executive Blvd., North Bethesda.