Harriet Tubman is most famously known for being an African-American abolitionist during the Civil War. She was a slave who escaped to freedom, spending the rest of her life helping others escape as she did. Tubman risked her life innumerable times for a cause she believed would make the world a better, more equal place. She was considered a civil rights activist and was even a spy for the Union during the American Civil War. Though her activism during slavery and the Civil War were an important part of Tubman’s life and America’s history, the rest of her life is generally overlooked. Tubman was born into slavery, an epileptic, an activist for women’s suffrage, and died at roughly the age of 93 ; these facts are not well known to many. Some do not even know that Harriet Tubman was not her birth-given name until they examine her whole life instead of just her accomplishments. Many are even unaware that she had more to do with slavery than just maneuvering the Underground Railroad. If anybody’s life is worth a second look it is Harriet Tubman’s.
Best known as Harriet Tubman, her birth name was actually Araminta Ross. Her parents were Harriet Green and Ben Ross; they were both slaves as well. Records of slaves were not well kept and as a result, Tubman’s exact location and date of birth were never recorded. Though historians still debate on her year of birth evidence sufficiently suggests that Tubman was born in 1822. Tubman herself listed several different birth years in her Civil War widow’s pension records which shows that sometimes even the slaves themselves did not know when they had been born. Tubman’s mother was a cook and her father was a woodsman. They married in 1808 and court records dictate that they nine children together, including Harriet. Edward Brodess, Harriet Green’s owner, sold three of Tubman’s sisters. They were never reunited with the family. With three of her children gone Tubman’s mother heard that her youngest son, Tubman’s little brother, may be sold. Green hid the boy for over a month, later confronting Brodess about the boy being sold. When Brodess admitted it Green quickly told him that “the first man to come into my house, I will split his head open.” Brodess declined the sail after this remark. Many historians agree that seeing her mother’s small triumph fueled Tubman’s passion for the resistance.
As Tubman grew, she assumed responsibility for her younger siblings because her mother was assigned to work in the house. This meant she has little time to care for the family. Her father worked as a woodsman and also had little time to raise the children. Historians believe when she was nearly seven Brodess lent her out to a woman named Miss Susan; Tubman was to be the woman’s nursemaid, ordered to watch Miss Susan’s baby while it slept. If the baby woke up and cried in the night Tubman was whipped. She began constructing ways to lessen the beatings. She would wear extra layers of clothing to protect her from feeling the full force of the whippings. Eventually she began to fight back physically and even ran away at one point for five days (65). Tubman also worked for a man named James Cook during this time. Her job was to check muskrat traps he set in nearby marshes. She was forced to do so even after she had gotten the measles. As she aged and grew stronger Brodess made her work in the fields, plowing and driving oxen (79).
During adolescence Tubman had an unfortunate accident that left her epileptic. This fact is virtually unknown. As a young girl Tubman was sent to the store for supplies. While there she met a slave owned by another man; he had left his plantation without permission. His owner demanded that Tubman help detain him but she refused. As the slave ran to safety his owner through a weight at him but the weight hit Tubman instead. Later Tubman remarked that she believed her hair, which had never been brushed and was very thick and hard, had saved her life. After the incident, though bleeding and unconscious, Tubman was simply returned to her boss where she did not receive medical attention for two days (49). When she regained consciousness she was sent back to work in the fields despite the fact that she was still bleeding. Her boss became frustrated with her and returned who to Brodess who was unable to sell her. Soon after she began having seizures and bouts of unconsciousness where she would appear to be asleep but later claim she was aware of her surroundings. We know these now to be absence seizures, a common symptom of epilepsy. After the incident Tubman began having vivid dreams that coincided with her own spiritual awakening. She found guidance and strength in the Old Testament that spoke of deliverance and encouraged other slaves to do the same. She began believing that these dreams were signs God. Tubman struggled with epilepsy for the rest of her life (103).
In 1844 Tubman met John Tubman, a free black man also living in Maryland. The two married. This was not uncommon; by the mid 1800’s half the black population of Maryland was free and free people marrying enslaved people happened often. It is suggested that the couple might have been planning to buy Tubman’s freedom, though little else is known about their marriage or time together. There is not even documentation of divorce or John Tubman’s death though a parting of ways must have taken place because Tubman married for a second time later in life (121). Soon after the wedding Tubman changed her name from Araminta to Harriet but the reason is still unclear. Some suggest it was part of Tubman’s plan to escape slavery while others believe that it was part of a religious ceremony specific to the marriage.
Tubman’s worth as a slave fell once again in 1849 when she fell very ill. Brodess desperately tried to sell her but was unsuccessful and grew angrier at Tubman. Tubman persisted that she began to pray for Brodess to change his ways and take pity on her. The prayers did not work so Tubman changed her prayer: “"I changed my prayer," she said. "First of March I began to pray, 'Oh Lord, if you ain't never going to change that man's heart, kill him, Lord, and take him out of the way.” After a week Brodess had died. Tubman expressed many regrets over her prayers, believing they had worked (126). There is much speculation about what really killed Brodess but nothing is conclusive. The standard protocol when the master of a plantation dies is for his wife to begin dividing the plantation in an effort to survive. First on the list of things to do is sell off the slaves, which is exactly what Brodess’ wife began trying to do. Afraid of being sold as Brodess’ estate was divided Tubman knew she must escape quickly. Her husband tried to talk her out of it but Tubman was determined and on September 17, 1849, Harriet Tubman and two of her brothers successfully escaped from slavery. Her brothers had second thoughts and wanted to return, forcing Tubman to return with them. She managed to escape again and the pattern began. Through an unceremonious but well-hidden and organized system now known as the Underground Railroad Tubman led more nineteen groups of nearly 300 slaves to their freedom (100). This is of course the most well-known part of Tubman’s life and perhaps one of the most honorable.
John Brown and Harriet Tubman were introduced in April of 1858. The pair both believed that God had ordained them to fight against slavery and trusted God to protect them from violence at the hands of slaveholders. Brown’s policy on ending slavery was to use violence and force. Tubman disagreed with this violent policy but when she was approached by Brown she decided to tolerate his methods for the sake of their common goal. Brown wanted to begin a war that he believed would encourage the slaves to fight. His plan was to start one battle that would rally the slaves into carrying on the rest of the battles themselves. He asked Tubman to recruit former slaves for the war. She did. In May 1858 Brown revealed his plan to attack Harpers Ferry, Virginia (142). The plan was eventually leaked to the government and had to be put on hold until October of the following year. Tub was not present and the reason for her absence is cause for speculation. Some believe she had become ill in New York while others believe she was still recruiting slaves to fight. The attack ultimately failed and Brown was convicted and hung for treason in December of that year (145). Tubman and many other abolitionists praised his efforts.
Shortly after Brown’s execution the Civil War began. Tubman remained very involved in the Union’s efforts first as a cook, then as a nurse, and eventually as an armed scout and spy. During her time as a nurse Tubman tended to soldiers who had contracted Small Pox. Rumors had begun that Tubman was touched by God and when she was able to care for the soldiers without contracting Small Pox herself the rumors only increased. During her time as a cook and a nurse she was a regular in Port Royal, South Carolina where she helped refugee slaves. After January 1863, when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Tubman became known as the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the American Civil War (171). She effectively guided Union troops up the Combahee river and around Confederate mines, allowing the Union troops to set fire to plantations on shore. The Union apprehended thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies and food. After the supplies were loaded the Union helped the slaves escaped by steamboat. More than 700 slaves were saved that day. Tubman was commended as a hero; most of the liberated slaves immediately joined the Union army’s efforts. She spent the remainder of the war scouting for the Union and tending to wounded soldiers (173).
After the civil war had been won Tubman became active in promoting women’s suffrage . She was not satisfied only with races living free, she believed that genders should be equal as well. Throughout her time working for women’s suffrage Tubman rallied alongside the likes of Emily Howland and Susan B. Anthony, traveling up and down the east coast to speak on behalf of women’s voting rights. As a tool to demonstrate women’s equality she told stories of her own time in the Civil War as well as other sacrifices she had seen women make. Her aim was to show that women were equal to men. Her efforts paid off once again in 1896 when the National Federation of Afro-American Women was founded, Tubman was the first keynote speaker at the very first meeting. The admiration for Tubman’s continued activism despite the end of the war was unrelenting and even before her death many were heralding her life as a brilliant beacon of success (203).
Just before the war broke out an abolitionist, Senator William H. Seward, sold Tubman a piece of land in Auburn, New York. During the war the piece of land was used as a sanctuary for Tubman’s family and friends. After the war ended Tubman returned to this property to live with her family and all the others who had started living there. In 1869 she married Nelson Davis, a veteran of the Civil War, and the two adopted a little girl named Gertie. Though her battle with slavery had ended Tubman continued to help others throughout the rest of her life. She was never financially well off but would give what she had to those in need. Friends and family tried to raise funds to support her and while a portion did keep Tubman alive, most of the money went to helping others. In 1903 she even donated part of her land to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church took the land and opened The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in 1908 (187). As she grew older, her childhood head injury became increasingly troublesome. Tubman even had brain surgery at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital in an effort to correct the extreme pain she was in on a daily basis. The surgery did not alleviate all of the pain and eventually she was admitted to the retirement home that bore her name. In 1913, at roughly the age of 93, Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia. She was surrounded by all of her loved ones (195).
After her death Harriet Tubman became an American icon and a well-recognized figurehead of the civil rights movement during and prior to the Civil War. She risked her freedom and her safety numerous times in an effort to give those around her a chance at a better life. She was not just sympathetic to the slaves but to all humans. Though she helped Brown and praised his efforts she disagreed with violence towards whites even if it was to put an end to slavery. Harriet Tubman was a woman of the people, who wanted everybody to live free and equally. Her heroism is a testament to how strongly she believed in that dream. The stories of her bravery and selflessness continue to inspire generations of Americans of all colors and backgrounds. Harriet Tubman was an essential cornerstone in the successful fight against slavery but there are still battles for civil rights to be fought. We can all learn something from the courage and persistence that she showed throughout her life.
References
Clinton, Catherin. Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom. Chicago: Hachette, 2004. Print.
Hopkins-Bradford, Sarah. Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. New York: Random House, 2001. Print.
Humez, Jean M. Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Stories. Madison: UW Press, 2006. Print.
Larson, Kate. Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero. New York: Random House, 2009. Print.
McGowan, James A and William C. Kashatus. Harriet Tubman: A Biography. Westport: ABC CLIO, 2011. Print.
