Introduction
The real name of Harriet Tubman at birth was Araminta Ross. She was one of the eleven children of Benjamin and Harriet. She was “hired out” as a nurse of a small child by one of the masters. She used to stay awake throughout the night to ensure that the small baby did not cry and wake the mother. When Ross fell asleep, the master would whip her. The brutal suffering she went through since young made her determined to gain freedom. She is remembered as one of the conductors who freed many slaves through the "Underground Railroad." In 1849, she left her family and husband to escape from slavery. She went back to free her family and other slaves more than nineteen times. Tubman later joined the Civil War as an informer of the government’s forces. Two things sustained her during her missions: the faith that she had in God and the pistol that was always by her side. The pistol was for self-defense.
Born As a Slave
Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 in Maryland. Her parents were Harriet Ross and Benjamin. In that County, a majority of the Black Americans were slaves. There was a neighbor called Miss Susan, and she was in need of a slave who would take care of her child. Tubman was sent there to work for her master, and this was when she was at the age of five. Tubman was to take care of the child both during the day and during the night. Whenever the child would cry, she would be punished. Miss Susan was not happy with Tubman, and she sent her back to her parents. Tubman was sent to work outside together with the other slaves.
Tubman grew up working for different people. One day as she was working on the farm with the other slaves when she saw a slave escaping. The runaway slave was heading to the nearby town. There was an overseer that saw the runaway slave escaping and he followed him with a whip. Tubman decided to follow them to see what would happen. When the overseer saw Tubman, he commanded her to go and catch the runaway slave. Tubman did not heed to the order of the overseer, and instead, she stood between the two blocking the overseer from the runaway slave. The overseer was furious and threw a weighty metal to hit the runaway slave, but it missed him and hit Tubman on the head. It injured her and made her spend some months in the bed receiving treatment from her family members.
The Escape from Slavery
The moment Harriet heard that she was going to be sold together with her brothers, she decided to escape. The only way for one could escape was through the "Underground Railroad". It was not a railway at all and instead it was a group of people that were against the issue of slavery and helped the other slaves in escaping. The barns and homes of those members were referred as stations. The slaves were headed to the Northern States whereby it is believed that black Americans would be free. Those that led the slaves to escape through the night were referred as the conductors, and the Harriet Tubman was one of them. In 1850, the Fugitive law was passed, which stated that those slaves that escaped to the Free States would be returned to their owners. No part of the United States was safe after the passage of the law. The only option was to move to Canada.
The braveness of Harriet made her make several trips to the south and brought her brothers and sisters to Canada. In one of the trips, she found that her husband had married another wife, and this was a very hard time for her. It made her make a decision that her new role now would be to drive all the slaves away from slavery. People gave her the name “Moses” to represent the Biblical man that led the people of Israelites away from slavery. Some said that Tubman was a man because no one could have the braveness that she had.
Harriet Tubman in the Civil War
The Civil War began in the year 1861. It is a conflict between the people from the southern part and the northern part of the United States. Tubman joined the Northern people in fighting against the prevailing slavery, which was common in the southern region. She served as the nurse for those soldiers that were wounded. After some months of nursing the wounded soldiers, she appealed to her commander so that she would work behind the enemy troops. Her ability to travel without attracting attention made her start serving as a spy. At some point, together with the northern soldiers, they went and invaded a prison that was located in the southern part of the U.S whereby they freed many slaves.
The governor of the Massachusetts, John Andrew, had heard of the Tubman’s reputation to lead people out of slavery. He felt that the leadership qualities of Tubman could be of help in the Civil War. Tubman was asked to help, and she did not resist as she saw it as the plan of the Lord to rescue his people from a state of oppression and pain. Her braveness and experience to lead the slaves away through the “Underground Railroad” was an advantage to her. She became a teacher for the fugitive slave, and showed them how to work in the Union military camps.
Attack to the Enemy Territory
It was in June 1863 when Harriet together with other black soldiers armed themselves went to attack an enemy territory. They were also accompanied by the Union of Colonel James Montgomery. They invaded the warehouses and stockpiled the supplies of the enemy and destroyed bridges, plantations, and railroads. Many of the black slaves ran towards the boats as they wanted freedom. After the expedition, the military granted Harriet a temporary leave to go and visit her family.
After the end of the war (in which the northern people won), there was issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. It was a written order freeing all the slaves in the United States. Some of the slaves that were in the border states remained under the bondage of their owners. It was believed that the main intention of President Lincoln was to start a fight in the Confederate force. The black slaves now were allowed to participate in the war because they had been freed. Many of the people saw the act of proclaiming the Emancipation as a political strategy of the President to free the whites in the prisons so as to enhance the development of capitalism in the United States of America.
After The End of the War
Harriet Tubman decided to return to Auburn. She was severely injured after a group of men and a conductor in a passenger car physically evicted her from the car due to her race. She arrived home exhausted and in great pain due to her broken arm. Her family depended on her for financial support, but she was unable to help them because she was unable to work and she remained on the bed for several months. Many people were worried about her health because she had a huge responsibility and had no funds. Many brought food and clothes to her and sometimes they would send some money to her. Tubman had petitioned the government so that she would be compensated but because she was not officially a soldier, she was not entitled to any military payment.
The Second Marriage
The first husband of Harriet Tubman died in 1867. There was a man by the name of Nelson Davis, who was one of the Civil War veterans and he had rented near Tubman’s home. Tubman fell in love with Davis although he was twenty years younger and on 1869 they married. They decided to adopt a baby girl in some few years later.
In the year 1903, she donated her property to one of the churches in Auburn. A home for the aged by the name “The Harriet Tubman” was opened in 1908. She was taken to that home where people still came to visit her until her death which occurred in 1913. The last words that she spoke to the people that were beside her before she died were that she has gone to prepare a place for them.
Conclusion
Harriet Tubman proved to be a brave woman that was determined to see that all the people have been freed from slavery. Her experience as a conductor in the “Underground Railroad” assisted her in Civil War that came later. She is one of the prominent people in the history of the United States as she fought for equal rights for everyone. There are many things and places that have formed in memory of the Tubman. She led many people from the slavery and also assisted in a great manner during the Civil War.
Bibliography
Healy, N. (2005). Harriet Tubman: Conductor to freedom. Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press.
Humez, J. M. M. (2003). Harriet Tubman: The life and the life stories. Madison, Wis: University
of Wisconsin Press.
Lantier, P. (2010). Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. New York:
Crabtree Publishing Co.
Malaspina, A. (2009). Harriet Tubman. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.
Rau, D. M. (2001). Harriet Tubman. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books.
