Individual case studies are the center of the study of Beneath the Underground. Each case study is a summary of available runaway adds, court documents, census data, and published material on an individual from the Antebellum Maryland Community connected to the institution of slavery. Case studies are most often of slaves attempting flight, but also can be of those that aided them, or slave owners and those committed to preserving the institution of slavery. The case studies are divided into three categories: Fugitives, Accomplices, and Other.