Despite being born to African-American parents held as slaves on a Maryland plantation in 1820, Harriet Ross became a woman of great influence during the Civil War. Because of her purely African Ancestry, she was raised under harsh conditions working as a slave. Harriet worked for white men on a plantation who gave her many unjust punishments at a very young age. When Harriet was only 12 years old, she suffered from a blow to her head because she refused to help a white man help tie up an African man who had attempted to escape the plantation he was working on.
At the age of 25, she married an African man named John Tubman, changing her name to Harriet Tubman. Five years later, Harriet feared being sold south so she started making plans to escape.
After telling other slaves she worked with of her plans, she was given a slip of paper by the slave living next to her and was told how to find the first station on the Underground Railroad, her route to freedom. When Harriet arrived at the first house on her path she was thrown in a wagon, covered by a sack, and endured a bumpy ride to her next stop. When she reached Philadelphia, she met William Still, the Philadelphia Stationmaster of the Underground Railroad. With William’s help, she learned about the UGRR (the Underground Railroad).
The Underground Railroad was not really a railroad. It was a route on which slaves could travel to get to Northern states where slavery was not allowed or Canada, a place they could start a new life. Along the UGRR there were houses, or stations, with people living there who would help to hide slaves for a night before sending them off to the next station with directions. Some stations gave the slaves meals, some gave them just a safe and comfortable place to sleep, some gave them new clothes, others just lights and directions to the next stop. Conductors along the UGRR came from various backgrounds. Some were freeborn African-Americans, or white men and women who didn’t believe in having slaves. The Underground Railroad is called a railroad because of the terminology used along the route. People who helped the slaves find the railroad were called ‘agents.’ ‘Conductors’ were guides. ‘Stations’ were hiding places, mainly houses, and ‘station masters’ were the people who hid the slaves in their houses. Slaves on the railroad were called “cargo” or “passengers.”
After Harriet Tubman freed herself from slavery, she returned to Maryland to rescue the rest of her family. She assisted over 300 people, including her elderly parents, to freedom in the north. Harriet would be gone for weeks at a time on the Underground Railroad, making daring risks to make preparations for herself and her passengers. Harriet was very courageous while guiding passengers on the UGRR. The danger of being caught was great, but even knowing this, Harriet drove herself on to keep going back, to keep helping others escape. She and her passengers on the railroad never were caught and always found their way to freedom.
Harriet Tubman died on March 10, 1913 after helping many people escape from slavery. During the Civil War, Harriet not only helped on the Underground Railroad, but she also worked as a nurse, a spy, and a soldier for a while at Fortress Monroe.
At the age of 25, she married an African man named John Tubman, changing her name to Harriet Tubman. Five years later, Harriet feared being sold south so she started making plans to escape.
After telling other slaves she worked with of her plans, she was given a slip of paper by the slave living next to her and was told how to find the first station on the Underground Railroad, her route to freedom. When Harriet arrived at the first house on her path she was thrown in a wagon, covered by a sack, and endured a bumpy ride to her next stop. When she reached Philadelphia, she met William Still, the Philadelphia Stationmaster of the Underground Railroad. With William’s help, she learned about the UGRR (the Underground Railroad).
The Underground Railroad was not really a railroad. It was a route on which slaves could travel to get to Northern states where slavery was not allowed or Canada, a place they could start a new life. Along the UGRR there were houses, or stations, with people living there who would help to hide slaves for a night before sending them off to the next station with directions. Some stations gave the slaves meals, some gave them just a safe and comfortable place to sleep, some gave them new clothes, others just lights and directions to the next stop. Conductors along the UGRR came from various backgrounds. Some were freeborn African-Americans, or white men and women who didn’t believe in having slaves. The Underground Railroad is called a railroad because of the terminology used along the route. People who helped the slaves find the railroad were called ‘agents.’ ‘Conductors’ were guides. ‘Stations’ were hiding places, mainly houses, and ‘station masters’ were the people who hid the slaves in their houses. Slaves on the railroad were called “cargo” or “passengers.”
After Harriet Tubman freed herself from slavery, she returned to Maryland to rescue the rest of her family. She assisted over 300 people, including her elderly parents, to freedom in the north. Harriet would be gone for weeks at a time on the Underground Railroad, making daring risks to make preparations for herself and her passengers. Harriet was very courageous while guiding passengers on the UGRR. The danger of being caught was great, but even knowing this, Harriet drove herself on to keep going back, to keep helping others escape. She and her passengers on the railroad never were caught and always found their way to freedom.
Harriet Tubman died on March 10, 1913 after helping many people escape from slavery. During the Civil War, Harriet not only helped on the Underground Railroad, but she also worked as a nurse, a spy, and a soldier for a while at Fortress Monroe.
Harriet Tubman was born on a plantation in Maryland.
Harriet died in Auburn, New York.