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Slavery was perceived differently in Maryland than it was in other slave states. This may have resulted from Marylandâs
proximity to the free state of Pennsylvania or the influence of Quaker sentiment against slavery. Whichever the case, there was public shame in mistreating slaves. The slave population decreased in
the first half of the 19th century, the result of shifts in agriculture as well as a growing sentiment for abolition.
Because the Upper Eastern Shore was easily accessed by water and close to the border with Pennsylvania, it became a
conduit for the Underground Railroad. While the number of slaves running to the north was small compared to the overall slave population, the cumulative value of these slaves was great. Much wealth was
sneaking away from slaveholders. Frederick Douglass, born a slave in Talbot County, escaped while working in Baltimore and became one of the most ardent supporters of equal rights throughout the 19th century.
Maryland stood at the threshold between slave and free states. This situation affected local philosophies.
By the mid-19th century, the majority of farmers did not own slaves or benefit directly from slave labor, but there were plenty of people supporting each side of the debate. Like other places, men of the Upper
Eastern Shore were divided in their loyalties and fought on both sides of the Civil War. As a state, Maryland did not participate, but its men took up arms and left their farms to aid their respective causes.
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