1/61.1JimDohertymaynotbeabornfarmer,buthegetsbuywithouttoomuchtrouble.Notthathehashaditeasy.Thatfirsthardwinterhefacedmusthavelefthimwiththetemptationtogiveupandgobacktothecity.Buthemanagedtogetthroughitwithoutlosingheart.He’spickedupalotofskillssincethenandmadesomerealimprovementstohisfarm,thoughwithoutmuchlaborsavingmachineryasidefromthatoldrotarycultivator.Isuspecthedoesn’tmakeallthatmuch,thoughhedoeshavehiswritingtosupplementwhatlittleprofithemakesfromthefarm.Iguesshedoesitprimarilyforthequalityoflife.Certainly,theyseemahappyfamilyandyoucanoftenseethemoutworkingtogether,onedaysprayingappletrees,thenextstackingfirewood.1.2Ahomesteader(自耕农)isapersonwholivesaself-reliantlifestylewithmajoremphasisonhomeproduction.whiletheIndustrialAgeisbeingreplacedbyinformationandelectronics,somepeopletrytoseekanescapefromthesocial,environmental,andeconomicmadnessofthemodernageandbegintoconsiderreturningtothecountry.Asthislifestyleissoenjoyable,satisfyingandrewarding,moreandmorepeoplearepreparedtoquittheirjobinthecityandstartanewandmoremeaningfullifeontheirvariousfarms.Forsomeithasbecomenotonlyawayoflife,butawayoflookingattheworld.Ofcourse,lifeinthecountrycanbeprettytough.WhileitisanenjoymenttobesoclosetoNature,youmayhavetoreduceyourdependenceonfuelsbycuttingbackonyourdailyconsumption.Youmayalsohavetoprepareyourownmealseverydayandprovideyourownlow-costentertainmentwithouttheluxuriesthatarecommonincities.Onbalance,however,livinginthecountryhaslongbeenapartoftheAmericanDream.GenerationsofAmericanshaveconsideredthecountryanidealsettinginwhichtoliveandraiseafamily2.1TheundergroundRailroadwasforgedbytheeffortsofthosewhowerepreparedtofightagainstslaveryandstandupforthelong-sufferingSouthernblackAmericans.Someofthosewhohelpedtotransportslavestothenorthandfreedomwereformerslavesthemselves.Othersfeltcompelledtotakepartbecauseoftheirdeeplyheldconvictions.Formanyofthoseinvolved,liberatingtheslavesfromthosewhoexploitedthembecauseamission.Whiletheireventualgoalwastoabolishslaverycompletely,inthemeantimetheywereintentonhelpingtofreeasmanyslavesaspossible,oftenatconsiderablerisk.Intheeyesofslaveowners,theyweredangerousenemiesandfrequentlyreceiveddeaththreats2.2Despitethename,theUndergroundRailroadwasnotreallyarailroad,butwasanetworkofpeoplewhoassistedfugitiveslaves.Manyfugitiveswhoescapedtothe2/6NorthandCanadareceivedassistancealongthewayfromindividualswhowereinvolvedinthisnetwork.Bytheearly19thcentury,theorganizationbecamesosuccessfulthatitisestimatedthatthatbetween1810and1850,100,000slavesescapedfromtheSouththroughtheUndergroundRailroad.Itwasnota(n)coincidencethatitwascalledtheUndergroundRailroad.Steamrailroadshadjustemergedandthetermsusedtodescribethepeoplewhohelpedandthefugitiveswererelatedtotherailroadline.Fugitiveslaveswerecalled"parcels"and"passengers",thehelperswerethe"conductors",thepeoplewhoprovidedtheirhomesasrefugewerecalled"stationmasters,"andthehomeswerereferredtoas"depots"or"stations".Therouteusedwasanimportantpartofasuccessfulescape.Therewerenumeroussecretroutesthataconductorcoulduse.Theoneuseddependedonwherethesearchpartiesandslavecatcherswerestationed.Sometripsrequiredtheuseofmanydifferentroutes.Ifitappearedthattheymightbeindanger,aguidewouldchangepaths.Someguidesandfugitivesevenhidoutinbushesandswampsformanydaysuntilitwassafetocontinueon.Quicknesswasnotthemainconcern,insteadsa...
