 The regional southern boundary was the Ohio River, the border of freedom and slavery in American history and literature (see "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison).The Midwest, particularly Ohio, provided the primary routes for the "Underground Railroad", whereby Midwesterners assisted slaves to freedom from their crossing of the Ohio River through their departure on Lake Erie to Canada.Created in the early 19th century, the Underground Railroad was at its height between 1850 and 1860.