Runaways and the Abolition Movement: The Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was the most dramatic protest action against slavery in American history. The operation of helping slaves escape using underground networks began in the 1500s. Which was later helped by the abolitionist activity of the 1800s. The route of the underground rail road was a constructed network of escape routes that originated in the South, their connections run all throughout the North, and eventually ended in Canada. Escape routes were not just restricted to the North, but also e