Although there were not many other options for escape, quite a few African American slaves were so desperate for freedom that they escaped via the Underground Railroad. A variety of working conditions required slaves to interact with each other; this made it easier for them to communicate. Much of this communication was done via coded language so that only the slaves could understand; this worked in their favor, allowing the slaves to plan their own freedom. Along with these points, many wonder what measures supported the advancement of the Underground Railroad and what procedures hindered its progress. As one might imagine, the slaves' attempts to escape were not easy. According to an article titled “Escape from Slavery,” most slaves escaped at night hoping to postpone knowledge of their disappearance until they were away from their masters. Even then, the escape process was extremely difficult. Once removed from their owners, slaves still had to find their way to freedom without being captured. The article, "The Underground Railroad," states that there would sometimes be a "conductor" posing as a slave who would go to plantations and lead runaway slaves north. This was one of the first steps in the underground rail system. Having a well-built secret system made it easier to move slaves out of the South. Furthermore, this system was made up of many individuals who supported local efforts to free slaves. These individuals would house and feed the slaves in private locations until they were moved to the next location. These places were called “safe houses”. While some might argue that this system hindered progress in slave movement, most would argue that it was… half paper… Quakers,” DadeSchool, http://cghs.dadeschools.net/slavery/ anti-slavery_movement/quakers.htm.PBS, “Harriet Tubman,” Africans in America, 1998-1999/April 16, 2011, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/copyright.html.Harriet Tubman, “African American Quotes,” African American Quotes, 2007/April 16, 2011, http://africanamericanquotes.org/harriet-tubman. html.Beverly Lowery, A Biography: Harriet Tubman Imagining A Life (New York: The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, 2007), 193-194Douglas Harper, “Slavery in the North,” Slave North, 2003, http://www.slavenorth .com/fugitive.htm.Jerome Bruner, “Spartacus Educational: Slave Punishments”, Spartacus Educational, 1997, http:// /www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/author.htmJerome Bruner, “Spartacus Educational: Punishments for slaves”, Spartacus Educational, 1997, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/author.htm