A US historian has just completed a travel back through time. Anthony Cohen wanted to retrace the steps of the slaves who ran away to Canada, and to freedom, along the undergound railway.

Thousands of fugitive slaves used the 'railway' from 1832 until 1865. The 'railway' was a series of safe houses and hideouts scattered around the United States where slaves could hide. Cohen, 35, wanted to experience what the slaves had to put up with during their trip. At one time he found himself jammed into a crate for 16 hours, travelling from Memphis to Chicago.

Cohen began his journey in Alabama three months ago and arrived in Southern Ontario this weekend. He covered more than 10,000 kilometres, most of it walking. His voyage was also recorded by a television crew. He wants to put a documentary together so school children can share his experience.