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Harriet Tubman Early Life
Harriet Tubman was born in January 1820, and a long 94 years later,she died in 1913.Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, and she was born into slavery.As a slave, she escaped and secretly helped other slaves also find their ways to freedom using the Underground Railroad.She was born to slave parents, Harriet Green and Ben Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland.During her childhood, she suffered from a traumatic wound in the head when a slave owner threw a heavy weight at her.This was a major affect. -
The overseer and the heavy metal weight
As a slave at the age of 13, Tubman was hit with a heavy metal weight in the head. When a slave from another plantation ran by her, his slave owner threw a weight at him. The overseer told Tubman to stop him but she refused. The overseer threw the weight and it struck her in the head. Throughout her life she would suffer from the symptoms the wound forced on her. It caused many problems for her future. -
Harriet Tubman's Family and Marriage
In 1844, Harriet married a free black man whose name was John Tubman. Soon after her marriage, she changed her name from Araminta Harriet. This was also her mother’s name. She might have done this to honor her and her family. But, it dictated that any children that John and Harriet would have would be enslaved. Many families had both enslaved and free members. Harriet’s mother was rarely spent time with her family, she had to take care of her younger siblings. As a child Tubman worked many jobs -
Escaping from Slavery
In 1849, Edward Brodess tried to sell Harriet, but no one would buy her. When Brodess died, his wife tried to start selling their slaves. Later, Tubman and her brothers, escaped from slavery in September of 1849. Two weeks later, Eliza Brodess posted a runaway notice offering a reward up to $100 for each slave that returned. But after they left the two brothers had second thoughts, and they decided to back which forced Harriet Tubman to go back with them. Soon, Tubman escaped once more. -
The Underground Railroad
The next time that she escaped she went without her brothers. Tubman used the Underground Railroad which was made of enslaved blacks and white abolitionists. She had to travel by night, and she used the North Star to guide her, and tried her best to avoid slave catchers. Although it is unknown which way she went exactly, Tubman most likely took a route that went through Delaware and then north into Pennsylvania. This route is nearly 90 miles long and would take about three weeks on foot. -
Journeys Back To Maryland
Over eleven years, Harriet Tubman has repeatedly returned to Maryland rescuing over 70 slaves from there in nearly thirteen different expeditions. She even rescued her three brothers from slavery. Harriet Tubman was very clever because of the ways she freed many slaves. She usually worked during the winter months to have less of a chance to be seen. But her journeys into the lands of slavery was a huge risk. She usually had to use disguises to throw off slave catchers and avoid getting caught. -
Tubman as a Great Leader
After making it to the safety in the North, she instead decided to go back and to rescue her family.Tubman received a warning that her niece was going to be sold, also with her two children were going to be sold. Her niece’s husband made the winning bid for his wife at an auction. She then helped the entire family make it to. Philadelphia.Tubman also earned the nickname “Moses” for her leadership. But one person that decided not to make the journey with her was Harriet’s husband,who stayed back. -
John Brown and the Civil War
Harriet Tubman was introduced to John Brown an abolitionist, in 1858.John used violence to destroy slavery in America.Tubman did support his goals but she did not like using violence against the whites.Tubman’s knowledge of support networks and resources in some states were important to Brown and his planners.After the first battle,Brown asked Tubman to gather former slaves living in Southern Ontario who might join his fighting forcey.Tubman saw a Union victory as a huge step towards abolition. -
The Home for Aged
In 1896, Tubman bought a 25 acre property right near her property. She called it the Home for the Aged which was a place for elderly African Americans. Soon her head injury caught up with her and she was forced to move into the home herself in 1911. She remained there until her death which was in 1913. This home was located in Auburn which was were Tubman lived from 1859 through 1913. Later, she gave the Home to the church so they could run it after her death. -
The Women's Rights Movement and the National Association of Colored Women
Tubman greatly supported the Women’s Rights Movement by attending the meetings and giving huge speeches. Most leaders of the Movements supported her during the Underground Railroad years. Tubman was very interested in African Americans rights. In 1896 she was a speaker of the National Association of Colored Women. She believed in equality of all people, no matter their race. She went to places all over the U.S. to speak for women’s suffrage rights.
