How long did the Underground Railroad last for?

Question:From between what years? Not how long slavery lasted. Just how long the Underground Railroad lasted for? Don't say go to wikipedia or national geographic ,because I looked and couldn't find it there. 10 points for best answer quick. Thanks

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: From between what years? Not how long slavery lasted. Just how long the Underground Railroad lasted for? Don't say go to wikipedia or national geographic ,because I looked and couldn't find it there. 10 points for best answer quick. Thanks

The Underground Railroad was perhaps the most dramatic protest action against slavery in United States history. The operations of clandestine escape networks began in the 1500s, and was later connected with organized abolitionist activity of the 1800s. Neither an "underground" nor a "railroad," this informal system arose as a loosely constructed network of escape routes that originated in the South, intertwined throughout the North, and eventually ended in Canada. Escape routes were not just restricted to the North, but also extended into western territories, Mexico, and the Caribbean. From 1830 to 1865, the Underground Railroad reached its peak as abolitionists and sympathizers who condemned human bondage aided large numbers of bondsmen to freedom. They not only called for slavery destruction, but also acted to assist its victims.

It ran from 1780 to 1862
One of the earliest records of the UR was in 1786 but the height of the UR was from 1810 and 1850.

An organized system to assist runaway slaves seems to have begun towards the end of the 18th century. In 1786 George Washington complained about how one of his runaway slaves was helped by a "society of Quakers, formed for such purposes." The system grew, and around 1831 it was dubbed "The Underground Railroad," after the then emerging steam railroads. The system even used terms used in railroading: the homes and businesses where fugitives would rest and eat were called "stations" and "depots" and were run by "stationmasters," those who contributed money or goods were "stockholders," and the "conductor" was responsible for moving fugitives from one station to the next.

not long. if it freed slaves than who would rebuild the tracks when they came apart?