Underground Railroad Research Paper: How to Write a Stellar Project?

A fairly major footnote in the annals of American history, the Underground Railroad is often selected by professors as a topic for research papers. Unfortunately for students, it is also a topic that doesn’t get that much exposure in the classroom, meaning they may find it difficult to determine the right type of information to put into the essay.

A research paper does require a lot of research on your part, and there’s no getting around that, but with the following tips and pointers, you may find the task as a whole a little less tedious and a bit more enjoyable. At any rate, it can at least point you in the right direction.

Start with the Obvious, but Don’t End There

It would be foolish to discuss the Underground Railroad in any capacity without mentioning Harriet Tubman. For many, she is the face of the Underground Railroad and one of the only people anyone actually knows in relation to it. That being the case, your research paper should definitely dedicate some time and discussion to Harriet Tubman.

However, one mustn’t make the mistake of focusing too much of the paper on her. While she is a very important member of the Underground Railroad, she is not its only member, and it’s worth noting that the paper itself is about the Railroad, not her. Be sure to mention her exploits, but do enough research to speak on other members and facets of the Railroad as well.

Get an Unbiased Picture

It’s easy to imagine the Underground Railroad as being completely operated by those who had escaped slavery already, but this was simply not the case. Be sure to mention every branch of the Railroad and the diversity of its members, as many people of all races took risks to help slaves flee from injustice. Do not neglect to mention the many routes the Railroad afforded: many people assume that the Railroad only helped slaves flee to the northern United States, but this is simply not true.

Some routes helped them flee to Mexico, where slavery was already abolished, as well as Canada and even overseas. These are all aspects of the Underground Railroad that are simply not touched on as much as others are. By including legitimate information about them in your paper, you will elevate it beyond the typical paper on the subject. 

Note Statistics and Numbers

Anyone can say that the Underground Railroad helped a lot of people, but that statement doesn’t reveal any meaningful information, and it also shows that you didn’t really do all that much research. You should be sure to do enough research regarding the Underground Railroad to provide meaningful information and statistics on it.

This includes things like the estimated number of people that escaped using the Underground Railroad and also the number of members who participated in making it work. While this information isn’t absolutely vital to the essay as a whole, it does show that you researched the topic beyond the mere surface, and it does still provide valuable information in regards to how effective the Railroad was and how many people took risks to make it work.

Cover the Advent of the Underground Railroad

If you are going to write a paper about an entire subject, one should always go into detail about how the subject in question started. It is very important to cover how the Railroad started, who had a hand in, and its predecessors, as there were many similar operations being conducted before the Railroad began. Of course, the essay is about the Railroad, not about those other operations, but noting how the Railroad may have followed the example of some of those other escape operations is an important thing to acknowledge in a paper about it. It is important to consider all aspects of the Railroad’s formation and its effectiveness in order to write a truly amazing essay.

Use of an Online Service

As a college student, you’ve probably thought “why can’t someone write my research paper for me?” No one could blame you for thinking this, as research papers are a major hassle, and few people really enjoy writing them. But as it turns out, there actually are people who can write your essays for you. Online essay writing services like AdvancedWriters do exactly that, writing a paper from scratch on any topic so long as you can foot the bill. They’ll even do revisions free of charge, assuming you are using a reputable service.

While this method can be expensive, it’s a tradeoff: if you have more money to spare than time, using an online writing service is a perfectly valid way to get your papers done without any of the stress or hassle. Just make sure you employ a legitimate service.