The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 became a major point of controversy after its passage by Congress But Harriet Tubman continued her work despite the increased danger Beginning in 1851 she made several trips back to Maryland and Virginia to guide other fugitive
slaves including members of her family north In 1856 Tubman made three excursions south The last in October of that year found Tubman finishing one rescue mission and about to return to dangerous territory to begin another rescue mission as a guide on the Underground Railroad
1 SLAVES AND MASTERS Slave owners forced enslaved people to do many types of work including harsh physical labor such as picking cotton
Joe Bailey Talbot County Maryland September 20 1856 Joe Bailey watched the two slaves haul timber into the shipyard and nodded his approval Joe was a slave too one of the 40 working in the shipyard and on the farm owned by their master William Hughlett But Joe was no ordinary slave He was the foreman of the shipyard a manager of other slaves When the harvest was brought in from the fields in a few weeks he would supervise that too Joe took great pride in his privileged position The other slaves looked up to him almost as if he were their second master However Hughlett didn’t own Joe Joe’s master had rented him out to Hughlett for the past six years As Joe mulled over these thoughts his brother Bill who also worked for Hughlett came up to him How’s the boss man Bill asked Aren’t you supposed to be down at the mill Joe asked his brother The work there’s all done replied Bill Thought I’d come up and see if you needed me here
