The Underground Railroad was not a literal railroad but a loose network of routes, safehouses, and individuals — both Black and white — who helped enslaved people escape to free states and Canada in the decades before the Civil War. Estimates of how many escaped through this network vary widely, but historians agree the system depended on extraordinary risk-taking by participants, especially the formerly enslaved guides who returned south to lead others north.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
- A
The Underground Railroad was an actual railroad.
- Bcheck_circle
The Underground Railroad was a network whose success depended on the risks taken by its participants, especially Black guides.
- C
Most escaped slaves traveled to Canada.
- D
Underground Railroad routes were carefully mapped.
Explanation
The passage's main idea is the network's nature and the risk-taking it required — B. A contradicts; C and D are partial or unsupported.