I was assigned a research paper and I decided to write about the Underground Railroad. I feel like history books don't really the the topic justice because they simply gloss over the fact that using the railroad came with so much risk, physical and emotional trauma that many slaves didn't even try. I really don't know where to start though. I really wanna dive in and see what it was really like to be a slave. What were the real risks? What type of emotional trauma did slaves describe having? Once escaped, how does on go about daily life in the north? How are bounty hunter dealt with? Any links or documentaries would be appreciated.
Read Gateway to Freedom by Eric Foner. It's about the Underground Railroad and drawn from the notes of an abolitionist. His notes/bibliography might have some good sources to look through as well
I think Margaret Garner's story would be a great jumping off point to talking about the issues that you're describing. She escaped through the Underground Railroad, and when the U.S. Marshals found out where she was and went to return her, she murdered her two year old daughter rather than allow her daughter to be returned to a life of slavery.
The case was a media sensation at the time and so a lot has been written about it. It intersects issues of the Underground Railroad, the risk of recapture, and the emotional trauma that came with slavery. If you're looking for documentaries in particular, her story is retold in PBS's "Slavery and the Making of America" which is available online for free.