It’s an escape from the slavery of the normie mainstream social media (basically Instagram)
Playing through Fallout 4, the Railroad became my favorite faction pretty much immediately. Part of it was their altruistic mission, part of it was how well they played as rogues (taking out the entire BoS with just two guys and a bomb was epic) and part of it (probably most of it, tbh) was how badass of a companion Deacon was, but another big part of it was having a history degree and having studied the abolitionist movement, and how well the Railroad paralleled that movement.
There's a lot rooted in historical fact:
The Old North Church: This one is pretty obvious, but support for the abolitionist movement - especially among white abolitionists - in the 18th and 19th century was largely based on religious objections, such as the early support among Quakers, John Brown (a devout Calvinist), Henry Ward Beecher (a minister who sent rifles to abolitionists during Bleeding Kansas), etc. That being said there were free-staters who often opposed the spread of slavery out of economic fears such as loss of jobs or wages, and even among abolitionists there was a debate over the equality and civil rights of African Americans, but regardless religious beliefs were a common motivation for abolitionists and for a game that generally avoids religion in it's lore using the Old North Church as a base was probably the closest they'd get for this allusion. This was also where lanterns were hung in the famous “one if by land, two if by sea” quote where lanterns were hung to warn Charlestown of the means of a pending British invasion (fun fact: my phone wants to capitalize “Invasion” like the fucking Beatles fad in the U.S. Sigh.) - it’s not related to abolitionism, but it is a tie-in to the lantern theme and the myth that Underground Railroad stops put lanterns in their windows.
There's also Deacon's code name which references both a clerical office in Christian churches, but also alludes to his personality - the literal meaning of the word meaning "servant" or "messenger", Deacon being a character that avoids leadership roles and prefers to do his intelligence work in the shadows.
Code names and terminology: Some of the tales regarding secret codes in the Underground Railroad (quilt codes, songs, etc.) are not evidenced in the historical record but it did use railroad terminology and false names to protect the identities of workers and fugitive slaves. "Stations" were hiding places, "Conductors" were guides, "Station Masters" were people who hid
... keep reading on reddit ➡
Heyo, I joined reddit basically just to post this. It's not too intense or harrowing, but I found it interesting given the historical context. Now, all of this is based on things my mom has told me, and seeing as we do not talk to her extended family (including my grandparents), it's hard to verify her claims. But my mom is not the type of person to lie; she's one of the most honest people I know. Also, she hasn't repeated the details to me for a few years now so some details might be fuzzy.
So we live in Massachusetts, a state already dripping in history because of its importance during the Revolutionary War. My mom has lived here her whole life, and spent a lot of time moving from town to town (I'm not sure why, her childhood sucked and she doesn't like talking about it so I don't pry). At one point they lived in a house near the south of the state, about an hour away from the border of Rhode Island.
According to my mom, the house was used as part of the Underground Railroad. Now, I've never been in the house myself but she claims that the house was full of hidden corridors behind bookcases and the likes, as well as having a basement that wasn't fully tiled and that the earth was exposed in a part of it. Given those details and the history of the state, I wouldn't doubt if that were the case. Even if it wasn't part of the Underground Railroad, it was certainly an odd house.
I believe my mom was in middle school around the time she lived in this house and she clearly remembers it being extremely haunted.
There were little things like hearing footsteps on a floor no one was on or when she was home alone. Lights in the kitchen and living room would turn on despite no one getting up; it wasn't faulty wiring or whatever, the light switches would be physically turned on. She would see shadows out of the corner of her eyes etc. Normal, ghost like things.
But my mom also experienced night terrors while living in this home, something she never experienced living anywhere else, both before and after this house. She was the youngest in the family and has never told me if her brother experienced the same things (in her defense, I didn't even know she had a brother until about 4 years ago- again, shitty childhood. I don't ask too much). These night terrors were extreme; she would wake up drenched in sweat or screaming. She would sometimes wake up and be unable to move, which she equates to sleep paralysis now a days. But again, has never experienced it anywhere
... keep reading on reddit ➡
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>Growing up in Maryland, author Ta-Nehisi Coates was enthralled by stories of Harriet Tubman, the 19th century abolitionist who operated the Underground Railroad on the state's Eastern Shore. He read about Tubman's efforts to lead enslaved people to freedom, and was struck by the surreal qualities of her story.
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>"It just seemed wild," he says. "Who is this person who has fainting spells and yet has never lost a passenger? Who is this black woman in the 19th century who, when somebody is scared and wants to turn back pulls out a gun and made threats, 'You ain't turning back!'? Who is this person who just strides through history?"
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>Coates read one biography of Tubman in which the biographer admitted that historians aren't quite sure how she managed to lead so many people to freedom. "Whenever I hear, 'We don't know how this happens,' my mind starts turning, you know? I start imagining things," he says.
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>Coates had always been a fan of comic books and pulpy adventure stories, and he began to imagine the Underground Railroad through fantastical eyes. His debut novel, The Water Dancer, is set in slave times and centers on Hiram, a man born into slavery who meets Tubman, and learns that they share a magical power to teleport enslaved people to freedom.
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>"I did a considerable amount of research, and when you look at how African Americans described themselves during that period, and when you look at how they talk about their own escapes from slavery, magic is often very much a part [of it]," he says. "The Water Dancer ... tries to take a somewhat forgotten tradition in African American resistance and render it seriously." https://www.npr.org/2019/09/24/763477150/ta-nehisi-coates-on-magic-memory-and-the-underground-railroad
'The Underground Railroad' book discussion!
Welcome to r/52in52's weekly book discussion. The Underground Railroadby Colson Whitehead is our week 6 (February 5th - February 11th) choice and the second book in our - Alternate History - theme.
Remember to be mindful of other people's opinions--not everyone has the same tastes as you!
Spoilers are not tolerated without a spoiler tag. Chapter Spoiler Will show like this: Chapter Spoiler
Choosing to read a different book this week? Make sure to let us know and discuss with us our General "What Are You Reading Instead" post.
Happy reading!
