Who was Harriet Tubman? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Araminta Ross

Died At Age: 91

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: John Tubman (m. 1844–1851), Nelson Davis (m. 1869–1888)

father: Ben

mother: Harriet Greene

siblings: Benjamin, Henry, Linah, Mariah Ritty, Moses, Rachel, Robert, Sophia

children: Gertie Davies

Born Country: United States

Social Activists Political Activists

Died on: March 10, 1913

place of death: Auburn, New York, United States

Grouping of People: Abolitionists, Black Political Activist

Ancestry: Ghanaian American

U.S. State: Maryland

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1

What impact did Harriet Tubman have on the Underground Railroad?

Harriet Tubman was a prominent "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading numerous enslaved individuals to freedom in the North.
2

How many times did Harriet Tubman lead slaves to freedom?

Harriet Tubman made an estimated 13 trips to the South, leading around 70 enslaved individuals to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
3

What was the significance of Harriet Tubman serving as a spy during the Civil War?

Harriet Tubman's role as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War was crucial in providing valuable intelligence and assisting in military operations.
4

How did Harriet Tubman contribute to the women's suffrage movement?

Harriet Tubman was an advocate for women's rights and played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement, fighting for equal voting rights for women.

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Childhood & Early Life

Harriet Tubman was bornAraminta Ross in March 1822, in Dorchester County, Maryland, USA, to Harriet Green and Ben Ross. Her mother, who was owned by Mary Brodess, was a cook.Her father,who was owned byAnthony Thompson, was a skilled woodsman. Records suggest that Harriet had eightsiblings.

Many of her siblings were sold off by her parents’ owners to other slave owners. Her mother resisted and tried her best to stop the owners from selling her children. Her mother’s courage deeply influenced Harriet.

At the age of six, she was considered old enough to work and was hired out as a nursemaid; her duties included taking care of a baby. She was beaten by herowners frequently.

She was sent to work at a plantation after she turned 11. With time, she grew bigger and stronger and was assigned more arduous work like driving oxen, forest work, hauling logs, and plowing.

As an adolescent,she worked at a dry-goods store where she was hit hard on the head by a white overseer. This resulted in a severe head injury and she suffered from seizures and headaches throughout her life.

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Later Years

She became ill in 1849 dueto which her value as a slave diminished. Her owner Edward Brodess was trying to sell her but could not find a buyer. Her owner died the same year and the chances of her being sold increased.

She escaped in 1849, along with two of her brothers. But within weeks of their escape, her brothers decided to return and she was forced to return with them.

She then escaped alone, making use of a network known as the ‘Underground Railroad’ that comprised of free and enslaved blacks and white abolitionists and activists. She traveled for nearly 90 miles by foot to finally reach Philadelphia, her destination.

Even though she was free now, she often thought about her family and others still enslaved in Maryland. Around this time, the U.S. Congress passed the ‘Fugitive Slave Law of 1850’ which made it illegal for any citizen to help slaves escape.

She made several trips to Maryland and helped rescue several of her relatives whom she safely brought back to Philadelphia. She became acquainted with abolitionist Thomas Garrett and is believed to have worked with him.

After the ‘Fugitive Slave Law’ was passed, theescaped slaves began migrating to Canada as northern U.S. was very dangerous for them. Tubman guided a group of 11 fugitives northward and probably stopped at the home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Over a period of 11 years, she made several visits to Maryland and rescued many slaves, including several of her own family members.

‘The American Civil War’ broke out in 1861 and Tubman joined the Union Army. She served as a nurse and tended to soldiers suffering from diseases like dysentery and smallpox. The work was physically exhausting and she also faced financial problems.

She became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the ‘American Civil War’ when she leda group of over 700 slaves in the ‘Combahee River Raid.’

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She then worked towards promoting the women’s suffrage and cared for her elderly parents.

Major Works

She was a highly respected abolitionist and guided hundreds of slaves to their freedom. She played a very important role in the civil war, caring for sick people and leading an armed forcein the ‘Combahee River Raid.’ She is regarded as one of the most important civilians in the history of America before ‘The Civil War.’

Awards & Achievements

The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor in 1978.

‘The Empire State Federation of Women’s Clubs’ erected a gravestone for Harriet Tubman in 1937 which was eventually listed on the ‘National Register of Historic Places’ in 1999.

Personal Life & Legacy

She married John Tubman, a free black, in 1844. However, he did not support her dream of escaping to Philadelphia. Therefore, she had to leave him behind and escape. When she returned to take her husband with her, she discovered that he had remarried.

She married a ‘Civil War’ veteran named Nelson Davis in 1869 and together they adopted a baby girl.

A religious lady, she was involved with ‘The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.’ She donated a piece of land to the church for building an old age home for destitute colored people.

With age, the problems that she suffered due to her childhood head injury became more severe. She died of pneumonia in 1913.

Facts About Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was not only a prominent abolitionist, but she was also a skilled herbalist and nurse who used her knowledge of plant medicines to help heal others.

Tubman was known for her incredible courage and determination, leading dozens of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad despite the constant threat of capture and danger.

In addition to her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Tubman also served as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War, providing valuable intelligence to help secure Union victories.

Tubman was a strong advocate for women's rights and suffrage, working alongside prominent suffragists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to fight for equal rights for all.

Harriet Tubman Biography

You wanted to know

What impact did Harriet Tubman have on the Underground Railroad?

How many times did Harriet Tubman lead slaves to freedom?

What was the significance of Harriet Tubman serving as a spy during the Civil War?

How did Harriet Tubman contribute to the women's suffrage movement?