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Harriet Tubman Library Guide: Biographies of Tubman

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Harriet Tubman

Tubman was born into slavery in 1822, and later escaped from Dorchester County, Maryland to Philadelphia where she lived as a freewoman  

Once free, Tubman dedicated her life to the abolition of slavery as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She brought approximately 70 enslaved African Americans to freedom in the north 

Tubman remained a philanthropist well into her later years, founding the Home for Aged & Indigent Negroes and supporting women’s rights  

"I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had the right to, liberty or death; if I could have one, I would have the other.” – Harriet Tubman, 1886 

Early life .

Born Araminta Ross (and affectionately called "Minty") in March of 1822 to parents Harriet (Rit) Green Ross and Benjamin Ross, Tubman was one of nine children. The Ross family were enslaved  in Dorchester County, Maryland. Chattel slavery determined that Black people were property that were bought and sold. The children of enslaved women were also considered enslaved, regardless of whether their fathers were enslaved or not. Such was the case for Tubman and her siblings as Benjamin was free, but Rit was not (University at Buffalo). The Ross’ enslaver, Edward Brodess, did not allow the family to remain together and worked to split them up through the assignment of work. Separated from Benjamin Ross at a young age, Rit, Araminta and her siblings worked on a different farm owned by the Brodesses in Bucktown, Maryland (NPS n.d.).  

In 1828 at the age of six, Brodess rented out Tubman at his whim to provide childcare for nearby overseers. Compensation for her work would go to Brodess and time periods for how long she would be rented out would vary. This work separated her from her mother and siblings for extended periods of time. Tubman's life would change forever at the age of 13. In 1835, while she was running errands at a local store, she witnessed another enslaved person’s attempted escape (Owens 2022). She refused to assist the freedom seeker's enslaver in capturing the fugitive. As the enslaver became desperate in their attempt to recapture the freedom seeker, he threw a two pound weight. Rather than hitting the intended target, he struck Tubman in the back of the head and fractured her skull.  

She teetered between life and death. Her mother Rit nursed Tubman back to health as much as she could given their limited resources (NPS n.d.). After the incident, physical pain became a consistent part of Tubman’s life. She experienced chronic pain from headaches and uncontrollable bouts of seizures, which Tubman herself referred to as “sleeping spells," (PBS 2022). Historians now know that Tubman had narcolepsy, which is a “chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles” (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke n.d.). 

Tubman’s place in disability history is often overlooked. It is important to note that narcolepsy was a prominent part of both her identity and story. Vivid visions of freedom came to her while experiencing these seizures (PBS 2022). As a result of her visions, her disability is often associated with her religiosity. However, Tubman’s dedication to her faith and her experience with chronic pain hold equal weight. Both elements were key in her determination to seek liberation for the enslaved. Historian Deidre Cooper Owens spoke to the importance of Tubman’s disability in her essay "Harriet Tubman’s Disability and Why it Matters". Cooper-Owens highlighted that, “she offered up a version of freedom where a disabled Black woman sat at the center of it, where Black women were liberators, and where liberation was communal and democratic” (Owens 2022). 

Journey to Freedom 

The pain of separation from her family and the cruelty of slavery never left Tubman. Forced back to the fields immediately after her injury, Tubman recounted: “there I worked with the blood and sweat rolling down my face til I couldn’t see” (Wickenden 2021). She became determined to find some sense of autonomy wherever she could, despite the confines of enslavement (NPS n.d.). She negotiated with her enslaver to select her own work assignments. He agreed so long as she paid him a yearly fee. From then on, Tubman hired herself out on her own terms.  

With new tasks came the exploration of new geographic areas. Dorchester County’s environment is marshland (NPCA n.d.). As such, the duties given to the enslaved in this area were unique to the landscape of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Tubman became familiar with the intricacies of the environment through these tasks. Down the line, her familiarity with Dorchester County would be key in her journey to freedom. 

In an unexpected turn of events, one assignment required her to work alongside her father in the timber fields. Not only did this allow her to spend time with him despite years of separation, but also to work alongside Black sailors. As regular travelers along the East Coast, these men were well connected. They shared their knowledge of the surrounding areas with Tubman and assisted her in tapping into a network of those also seeking liberation (Wickenden 2021). It was around this time that she met her future husband, freedman John Tubman. The couple married in 1844 when Tubman was 22 years old. Upon their union, she changed her name from Araminta “Minty” Ross, to Harriet (likely after her mother) Tubman (NPS n.d.).  

Tubman cherished moments spent with her father and her time as a newlywed. However, her enslaver Brodess struggled financially and found himself in debt in 1849. He decided to sell more of his enslaved workers as a financial solution. Tubman discovered that Brodess’s financial troubles were likely to lead to the sale of her and her brothers, Ben and Henry (Wickenden 2021). Even Brodess’s death in 1849 did not alleviate Tubman’s fear of the sale and Tubman sought to make her dreams of freedom a reality. She saw her future clearly, detailing to biographer Sarah Hopkins Bradford what she envisioned as she crossed the Mason-Dixon line that separates Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia: “and on the other side of that line were green fields, and lovely flowers, and beautiful white ladies who stretched out their arms to me over the line” (Tubman, 1869).  

Making use of her wealth of knowledge gained over the years, Tubman set her sights on escaping to Philadelphia. The Abolitionist Movement, which was prominent in the city, meant she was sure to find allies and  like-minded confidants (University at Buffalo n.d.). After developing a route, the journey with her brothers began. While on the journey, the trio caught word that Eliza Broddess, Brodess’s widow, placed an ad in the paper calling for their return (Balkansky 2020). Tubman’s brothers decided to return to the plantation for fear of capture and subsequent punishment. Not the slightest bit discouraged, the visions that came to Tubman during narcoleptic bouts assured her she would be free (Wickenden 2021). She pressed onward alone, guided to Pennsylvania by the stars. 

The Moses of Her People: Conducting the Underground Railroad 

With the help of abolitionists along the way, Tubman journeyed from the Brodess’ farm in Maryland to Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, she made connections with abolitionists, namely William Still, a conductor on the Underground Railroad (Larson 2004). Tubman learned more about the Underground Railroad from Still. Often misunderstood as a railroad with tracks and trains, the Underground Railroad (UGRR) actually refers to various safehouses in which abolitionists provided sanctuary for freedom seekers. “Conductors” led the journeys to freedom, while “Station Masters” hosted freedom seekers within their homes, churches, or other safe spaces. The more Tubman learned, the more her desire to see her family free grew. She decided to return for them in 1850.  

After a successful first trip in which she brought both family and friends to freedom, she became a Conductor on the UGRR. She succeeded in her second journey as well and, on her third in 1851, Tubman returned for her husband, John. She quickly discovered that he thought she was dead and had remarried. John’s new wife was pregnant. Though heartbroken, Tubman’s commitment to freedom knew no bounds. She offered to take the couple to freedom, but John refused.  

In 1850, Congressional passage of the Fugitive Slave Act changed the calculus for Conductors like Tubman. The Act “stipulated that it was illegal for any citizen to assist an escaped slave and demanded that if an escaped slave was sighted, he or she should be apprehended and turned in to the authorities for deportation back to the ‘rightful’ owner down south. Any United States Marshall who refused to return a runaway slave would pay a hefty penalty of $1,000,” (University at Buffalo n.d.). Many freedom seekers opted to flee to Canada instead of the northern US as a result. Tubman conducted eleven trips from Maryland to St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada between 1850 and  1860. All of these journeys–19 in total– over the years made Tubman a hero, with many African Americans–both free and enslaved–dubbing her “Moses” after the biblical figure (Library of Congress 1998 and Balkansky 2020).  

While widely celebrated within her own community, Tubman was infamous among enslavers. Many called for her capture with bounties upwards of $40,000, which would be approximately $1,573,056.41 in today’s dollars. Between 1850 to 1860, Tubman brought approximately 70 individuals (including her parents, Rit and Ben) to freedom. Tubman spoke proudly of her accomplishments and famously stated, “I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger” (Prescod-Weinstein 2022). 

General Tubman: The Union Spy 

In 1857, after working to free her parents, Tubman initially brought them to Canada with her but ultimately settled in Auburn, New York. Auburn was a hotbed of abolition and felt like an ideal place for Tubman and her family to settle. Frances Seward, abolitionist wife of Senator (and later Secretary of State under President Abraham Lincoln) William H. Seward, offered Tubman land in Auburn (University at Buffalo n.d.). This further encouraged the family to stay. Though Tubman had her freedom, the fight for the liberation of the enslaved still called to her.  

In 1857, she met abolitionist John Brown. Brown was outspoken in his support of antislavery and, though unpopular among white southerners, his efforts were largely supported by those in the North. Tubman and Brown formed a close friendship, with Brown dubbing her “General Tubman” (NPS n.d.). She once claimed to have seen him in many of her narcoleptic dreams before meeting him. The pair worked together, including on Brown’s plans for the raid on Harpers Ferry, (now West) Virginia; Tubman provided her geographical expertise and recruited formerly enslaved people to assist in the raid. While planned as a way to steal guns and start a revolt to free enslaved people across the South, the raid ultimately ended in failure. An army unit, led by future Confederate General Robert E. Lee, captured Brown and put him on trial for "treason, murder, and inciting a slave rebellion" (NPS n.d.). Brown was hung shortly thereafter. Tubman was not in attendance at his hanging due to illness. 

In April 1861, the American Civil War broke out over the issue of slavery. Tubman saw an opportunity to get involved, enlisting in the Union (Northern) Army as a nurse where she cared for wounded soldiers with natural remedies (University at Buffalo n.d.).  In 1863, Tubman took on the role of a scout and organized a group of spies. She recruited enslaved people interested in assisting the Union. Tubman helped Colonel James Montgomery coordinate the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina, which aimed to “harass whites and rescue freed slaves” (University at Buffalo n.d.). The raid was wildly successful with Montgomery’s troops burning down many plantations and freeing approximately 750 enslaved people. (NPS n.d.). With their newfound freedom, many of the formerly enslaved men opted to join the Union’s fight against the Confederacy (the South). To date, Tubman is recognized as the first woman in US history to both plan and lead a military raid. In June 2021, the Army inducted her into the Military Intelligence Corps (Lacdan 2023). 

 Later Life and Legacy 

During her time with the Union Army, Tubman met her second husband, Nelson Davis. The couple married in 1869 in Auburn, NY where he, Tubman, and her freed family members (one of which was their adopted daughter, Gertie), would live out their days (NPS n.d.). Nelson built the family a home, which still stands as of 2024. It is also in Auburn where Tubman founded the Home for the Aged, an institution that provided care for those with “paralysis, epilepsy, and those with vision impairment and blindness,” (Shoot 2021). 

A staunch supporter of the suffrage movement , Tubman worked alongside various upstate-NY based suffragists, such as Lucretia Mott , Susan B. Anthony , and Elizabeth Cady Stanton . The interests of abolitionists were aligned closely with those of suffragists, with both movements concerned with autonomy and freedom. Later in life, Tubman attended various women’s rights conferences (Balkansky 2020). She also collaborated with the AME Zion Church, helping them raise money to build their church in Auburn (NPS n.d.). As collaborative partners, the church then supported Tubman’s dream of making the Home for the Aged a reality.  

Nelson Davis passed away in 1888. In his absence, Tubman continued to dedicate her final 25 years to philanthropic efforts. In 1913, at the age of 91, Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia in the Home for the Aged & Indigent Negroes. In her final words, Tubman called upon her faith and made reference to John 14:3 in the Bible. She stated, “I go away to prepare a place for you, that where I am you also may be” (Larson 2004, p. 289). She was laid to rest in the Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. 

Of service to her community until the very end, Harriet Tubman’s legacy remains relevant. As of 2024, the United States Mint launched the 2024 Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program . The program is timely as it honors the two hundredth anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s birth. Continued discussions about and homages to Tubman stems from her powerful narrative of taking control of her own destiny and ultimately forging a path for others. She is celebrated not only for the hundreds of enslaved that she freed over the course of her lifetime, but for all of those who still look to her story for guidance. Just as she looked to the North Star to carry her to freedom, her work and values remain a guiding light to many to continue onward–no matter how harrowing the path ahead. 

Primary Source Analysis 

Image 1 caption: This map highlights in red Dorchester County, Maryland. Located right along the coast, it has direct access to water. 

Primary Source Analysis Questions: 

At first glance, what do you notice about the map? Now, examine the map closely. What do you notice that you did not see the first time? 

Who is the intended audience of this map? 

Spot Dorchester County. What does being able to locate it on a map make you wonder? 

Image 2 caption: Tubman is seen posing for a portrait sometime between 1871 and 1876, expression neutral while she rests her hands on a chair. The bottom of the image reads “Harriet Tubman (1822-1913)” and “Nurse, spy and scout”.  

What is the first thing you notice when looking at this image? Why do you think you might have gravitated towards that first? 

Based on the events mentioned in the biography between 1871 and 1876 (when this image was thought to be taken), why might Tubman have had this portrait taken? 

What do you notice about her appearance (her attire, hair, etc)?  

The caption “nurse, spy and scout” omits words such as “conductor, abolitionist, formerly enslaved” etc. Do you believe Tubman would have agreed with the caption? If she dictated it herself, why do you think she might have wanted to be known by those three labels? 

Image 3 caption: Tubman (on the far left) is photographed alongside her husband Nelson Davis, adopted child Gertie, and various other family members. This photograph was taken in Auburn, NY on the Tubman-Davis property.  

Primary Source Analysis Questions:  

When examining this photo of Tubman surrounded by family, what questions come to mind?  

Reflect on Tubman’s journey to freedom. What is the significance of this image of her photographed with so many of her family members? 

In comparison to the previous images of Tubman, what differences do you notice in how she appears in this photograph? 

Educator Notes 

"Teacher's Guide Analyzing Primary Sources," Library of Congress

This resource outlines different lenses that students can examine through primary resources through. There is no specific order to use the columns in. The questions students develop through their examination are meant to encourage further research and curiosity. Educators can then propose other activities (as outlined in the resource) that help students further contextualize different - but related - primary sources

"Primary Source Analysis Tool," Library of Congress

This is a blank version of the previous link. Educators can create their own specific sample questions (most likely based on the medium of the primary source to have students answer in each column, or simply have students fill out this document with the guidance of the original document. 

"Teacher's Guide Analyzing Maps," Library of Congress

Similar to the first resource, this document specifically focuses on how to analyze maps. The questions highlighted in each column still use the “Observe, Reflect, Question” model, but allow students to further hone in on the unique features of maps - such as the one featured in this biography. 

For further information or questions, please contact [email protected] .

   This biography is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary   Sources Eastern Region Program, coordinated by Waynesburg University.

• Lacdan, Joe. “Army Honors Female Combat Pioneer, Renowned Abolitionist.” www.army.mil. August 25, 2023. https://www.army.mil/article/269360/army_honors_female_combat_pioneer_renowned_abolitionist . 
• Balkansky, Arlene. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. June 16, 2020. https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/06/harriet-tubman-conductor-on-the-underground-railroad/  
• “Harriet Tubman’s Story.” National Parks Conservation Association. n.d. https://www.npca.org/articles/2162-harriet-tubman-s-story . 
• Harriet Tubman Timeline. University at Buffalo. n.d. http://math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html. 
• “Tubman.” National Parks Service. n.d. https://www.nps.gov/hatu/learn/historyculture/htubman.htm . 
• Larson, Kate Clifford, Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero . New York, Ballantine, 2004. 
• London, Nicole, Stanley, Nelson and Christopher, Haley. 2022. Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom . [San Francisco, California, USA]: PBS. 
• Owens, D. C. Harriet Tubman’s disability and why it matters. Ms. Magazine. February 10, 2022. https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/10/harriet-tubman-disability-democracy/ 
• Prescod-Weinstein, Dr. Chanda. “Harriet Tubman, Astronomer Extraordinaire.” Ms. Magazine, February 3, 2023. https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/03/harriet-tubman-astronomer-underground-railroad-north-star-nasa/ . 
• Shoot, B. (2021). The brain injury that helped end slavery. Folks. n.d. https://folks.pillpack.com/brain-injury-helped-end-slavery/  
• “The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship Abolition, Anti-Slavery Movements, and the Rise of the Sectional Controversy.” Library of Congress, February 9, 1998. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african-american-odyssey/abolition.html . 
• “When John Brown Met Harriet Tubman.” National Parks Service. n.d. https://www.nps.gov/hafe/learn/historyculture/when-john-brown-met-harriet-tubman.htm . 
• Wickenden, Dorothy. “Liberty or Death: On the Prophetic Visions and Unflinching Will of Harriet Tubman.” Literary Hub, March 31, 2021. https://lithub.com/liberty-or-death-on-the-prophetic-visions-and-unflinching-will-of-harriet-tubman/ . 
• http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html 

Image Citations 

• Griffith, Dennis, James Thackara, and J Vallance. Map of the State of Maryland laid down from an actual survey of all the principal waters, public roads, and divisions of the counties therein; describing the situation of the cities, towns, villages, houses of worship and other public buildings, furnaces, forges, mills, and other remarkable places; and of the Federal Territory; as also a sketch of the State of Delaware shewing the probable connexion of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. [Philadelphia, J. Vallance, 1794] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/76693265/ . 
• Lindsley, Harvey B, photographer. Harriet Tubman, full-length portrait, standing with hands on back of a chair. , ca. 1871. [Between and 1876] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003674596/ . 
• Powelson, Benjamin F, photographer. Portrait of Harriet Tubman / Powelson, photographer, 77 Genesee St., Auburn, New York. New York, 1868. [Auburn, N.Y.: Benjamin Powelson, or 1869] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018645050/ . 
• United States Mint. Harriet Tubman 2024 Proof Silver Dollar Coin. 2024. https://catalog.usmint.gov/harriet-tubman-2024-proof-silver-dollar-coin-24CL.html?cgid=harriet-tubman-commemorative-coins#start= 1 
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. "Harriet Tubman; Gertie Davis; Nelson Davis; Lee Cheney; "Pop" Alexander; Walter Green; Sarah Parker; and Dora Stewart " New York Public Library Digital Collections.  https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-793f-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

MLA – Dawson, Shay. "Harriet Tubman-Davis." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2024. Date accessed.  

Chicago - Dawson, Shay. “Harriet Tubman-Davis" National Women's History Museum. 2024.  www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ harriet-tubman . 

• Bradford, Sarah Hopkins. Harriet, the Moses of Her People. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2012. muse.jhu.edu/book/19228 . 
• Hobson, Janell, Michelle D. Commander, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Dr. Kate Clifford Larson, Deirdre Cooper Owens, Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, Janell Hobson, et al. “The Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Project.” Ms. Magazine, February 1, 2023. https://msmagazine.com/tubman200/ . 
• Library of Congress. Research guides: Harriet Tubman: Topics in Chronicling America: Search Strategies & Selected Articles. N.d. https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-harriet-tubman/selected-articles. 

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Harriet Tubman

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 20, 2024 | Original: October 29, 2009

Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved woman who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom before the Civil War, all while carrying a bounty on her head. But she was also a nurse, a Union spy and a women’s suffrage supporter. Tubman is one of the most recognized icons in American history and her legacy has inspired countless people from every race and background.

When Was Harriet Tubman Born?

Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her parents, Harriet (“Rit”) Green and Benjamin Ross, named her Araminta Ross and called her “Minty.”

Rit worked as a cook in the plantation’s “big house,” and Benjamin was a timber worker. Araminta later changed her first name to Harriet in honor of her mother.

Harriet had eight brothers and sisters, but the realities of slavery eventually forced many of them apart, despite Rit’s attempts to keep the family together. When Harriet was five years old, she was rented out as a nursemaid where she was whipped when the baby cried, leaving her with permanent emotional and physical scars.

Around age seven Harriet was rented out to a planter to set muskrat traps and was later rented out as a field hand. She later said she preferred physical plantation work to indoor domestic chores.

A Good Deed Gone Bad

Harriet’s desire for justice became apparent at age 12 when she spotted an overseer about to throw a heavy weight at a fugitive. Harriet stepped between the enslaved person and the overseer—the weight struck her head.

She later said about the incident, “The weight broke my skull … They carried me to the house all bleeding and fainting. I had no bed, no place to lie down on at all, and they laid me on the seat of the loom, and I stayed there all day and the next.”

Harriet’s good deed left her with headaches and narcolepsy the rest of her life, causing her to fall into a deep sleep at random. She also started having vivid dreams and hallucinations which she often claimed were religious visions (she was a staunch Christian). Her infirmity made her unattractive to potential slave buyers and renters.

Escape from Slavery

In 1840, Harriet’s father was set free and Harriet learned that Rit’s owner’s last will had set Rit and her children, including Harriet, free. But Rit’s new owner refused to recognize the will and kept Rit, Harriet and the rest of her children in bondage.

Around 1844, Harriet married John Tubman, a free Black man, and changed her last name from Ross to Tubman. The marriage was not good, and the knowledge that two of her brothers—Ben and Henry—were about to be sold provoked Harriet to plan an escape.

Harriet Tubman: Underground Railroad

On September 17, 1849, Harriet, Ben and Henry escaped their Maryland plantation. The brothers, however, changed their minds and went back. With the help of the Underground Railroad , Harriet persevered and traveled 90 miles north to Pennsylvania and freedom.

Tubman found work as a housekeeper in Philadelphia, but she wasn’t satisfied living free on her own—she wanted freedom for her loved ones and friends, too.

She soon returned to the south to lead her niece and her niece’s children to Philadelphia via the Underground Railroad. At one point, she tried to bring her husband John north, but he’d remarried and chose to stay in Maryland with his new wife.

Fugitive Slave Act

The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act allowed fugitive and freed workers in the north to be captured and enslaved. This made Harriet’s role as an Underground Railroad conductor much harder and forced her to lead enslaved people further north to Canada, traveling at night, usually in the spring or fall when the days were shorter.

She carried a gun for both her own protection and to “encourage” her charges who might be having second thoughts. She often drugged babies and young children to prevent slave catchers from hearing their cries.

Over the next 10 years, Harriet befriended other abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass , Thomas Garrett and Martha Coffin Wright, and established her own Underground Railroad network. It’s widely reported she emancipated 300 enslaved people; however, those numbers may have been estimated and exaggerated by her biographer Sarah Bradford, since Harriet herself claimed the numbers were much lower.

Nevertheless, it’s believed Harriet personally led at least 70 enslaved people to freedom, including her elderly parents, and instructed dozens of others on how to escape on their own. She claimed, “I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”

Harriet Tubman's Civil War Service

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Harriet found new ways to fight slavery. She was recruited to assist fugitive enslaved people at Fort Monroe and worked as a nurse, cook and laundress. Harriet used her knowledge of herbal medicines to help treat sick soldiers and fugitive enslaved people.

In 1863, Harriet became head of an espionage and scout network for the Union Army. She provided crucial intelligence to Union commanders about Confederate Army supply routes and troops and helped liberate enslaved people to form Black Union regiments.

Though just over five feet tall, she was a force to be reckoned with, although it took over three decades for the government to recognize her military contributions and award her financially.

Harriet Tubman’s Later Years

After the Civil War, Harriet settled with family and friends on land she owned in Auburn, New York . She married former enslaved man and Civil War veteran Nelson Davis in 1869 (her husband John had died 1867) and they adopted a little girl named Gertie a few years later.

Harriet had an open-door policy for anyone in need. She supported her philanthropy efforts by selling her home-grown produce, raising pigs and accepting donations and loans from friends. She remained illiterate yet toured parts of the northeast speaking on behalf of the women’s suffrage movement and worked with noted suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony .

In 1896, Harriet purchased land adjacent to her home and opened the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Colored People. The head injury she suffered in her youth continued to plague her and she endured brain surgery to help relieve her symptoms. But her health continued to deteriorate and eventually forced her to move into her namesake rest home in 1911.

Pneumonia took Harriet Tubman’s life on March 10, 1913, but her legacy lives on. Schools and museums bear her name and her story has been revisited in books, movies and documentaries.

Harriet Tubman: $20 Bill

Tubman even had a World War II Liberty ship named after her, the SS Harriet Tubman.

In 2016, the United States Treasury announced that Harriet’s image will replace that of former President and slaveowner Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (who served under President Trump) later announced the new bill would be delayed until at least 2026. In January 2021, President Biden's administration announced it would speed up the design process to mint the bills honoring Tubman's legacy.

HISTORY Vault: Black History

Watch acclaimed Black History documentaries on HISTORY Vault.

Early Life. Harriet Tubman Historical Society.

General Tubman: Female Abolitionist was Also a Secret Military Weapon. Military Times.

Harriet Tubman Biography. Biography.

Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, Residence, and Thompson AME Zion Church. National Park Service.

Harriet Tubman Myths and Facts. Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman Portrait of An American Hero by Kate Clifford Larson, Ph.D.

Harriet Tubman. National Park Service .

Harriet Tubman. National Women’s History Museum.

Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People. Harriet Tubman Historical Society.

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad. National Park Service.

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Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led dozens of fugitive slaves to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad and assisted scores of others.

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c. 1820-1913

Quick Facts

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Born into slavery in Maryland, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in the North in 1849 to become the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad . Tubman risked her life to lead dozens of family members and other slaves from the plantation system to freedom on this elaborate secret network of safe houses. A leading abolitionist before the American Civil War , Tubman also helped the Union Army during the war, working as a spy , among other roles.

After the Civil War ended, Tubman dedicated her life to helping impoverished former slaves and the elderly. In honor of her life and by popular demand, in 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the center of a new $20 bill.

FULL NAME: Araminta Harriet Ross BORN: c. 1820 DIED: March 10, 1913 BIRTHPLACE: Dorchester County, Maryland PARENTS: Harriet Green, Ben Ross SIBLINGS: Linah, Mariah, Soph, Robert, Benjamin, Rachel, Henry, Moses

Tubman’s date of birth is unknown, although she was likely born between 1820 and 1825. According to the National Park Service , oral traditions and recent research suggest she was born in early 1822.

She was one of nine children born between 1808 and 1832 to enslaved parents in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her mother, Harriet “Rit” Green, was owned by Mary Pattison Brodess. Her father, Ben Ross, was owned by Anthony Thompson. (Thompson and Brodess eventually married.)

Originally named Araminta Harriet Ross, Tubman was nicknamed “Minty” by her parents. Araminta changed her name to Harriet around her marriage, possibly to honor her mother.

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom

Tubman’s early life was full of hardship. Mary Brodess's son Edward sold three of Tubman’s sisters to distant plantations, severing the family. When a trader from Georgia approached Brodess about buying Rit’s youngest son, Moses, Rit successfully resisted the further fracturing of her family, setting a powerful example for her young daughter.

Physical violence was a part of daily life for Tubman and her family. The violence she suffered early in life caused permanent physical injuries. Tubman later recounted a particular day when she was lashed five times before breakfast. She carried the scars for the rest of her life.

The most severe injury occurred when Tubman was an adolescent. Sent to a dry goods store for supplies, she encountered a slave who had left the fields without permission. The man’s overseer demanded that Tubman help restrain the runaway. When Tubman refused, the overseer threw a two-pound weight that struck her in the head. Tubman endured seizures, severe headaches, and narcoleptic episodes for the rest of her life. She also experienced intense dream states, which she classified as religious experiences.

The line between freedom and slavery was hazy for Tubman and her family. Tubman’s father, Ben, was freed from slavery at the age of 45, as stipulated in the will of a previous owner. Nonetheless, Ben had few options but to continue working as a timber estimator and foreman for his former owners.

Although similar manumission stipulations applied to Rit and her children, the individuals who owned the family chose not to free them. Despite his free status, Ben had little power to challenge their decision.

Tubman first encountered the Underground Railroad—an extensive system of people and passages that helped fugitive slaves flee to the northern U.S. states and into Canada—when she used it to escape slavery herself in 1849. Following a bout of illness and the death of her owner, Tubman decided to escape slavery in Maryland for Philadelphia. She feared that her family would be further severed and was concerned for her fate as a sickly slave of low economic value.

Two of her brothers, Ben and Harry, accompanied her on Sept. 17, 1849. However, after a notice was published in the Cambridge Democrat offering a $300 reward for the return of Araminta, Harry and Ben had second thoughts and returned to the plantation. Tubman had no plans to remain in bondage. Seeing her brothers safely home, she soon set off alone for Pennsylvania.

Using the Underground Railroad, Tubman traveled nearly 90 miles to Philadelphia. She crossed into the free state of Pennsylvania with relief and awe and recalled later: “When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.”

Rather than remaining in the safety of the North, Tubman made it her mission to rescue her family and others living in slavery via the Underground Railroad. She made approximately 13 trips to Maryland to assist family members and friends while serving as a “conductor,” or person responsible for leading fugitives between safe-havens.

In December 1850, Tubman received a warning that her niece, Kessiah, and her two young children would be sold. Kessiah’s husband, a free Black man named John Bowley, made the winning bid for his wife at an auction in Baltimore. Tubman then helped the entire family make the journey to Philadelphia. This was the first of Tubman's numerous trips.

The dynamics of escaping slavery changed in 1850 with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law. This law stated that escaped slaves could be captured in the North and returned to slavery, leading to the abduction of former slaves and free Black people living in the Free States. Law enforcement officials in the North were compelled to aid in the capture of slaves, regardless of their principles.

In response to the law, Tubman re-routed the Underground Railroad to Canada, which prohibited slavery categorically. In December 1851, Tubman guided a group of 11 fugitives northward. Evidence suggests that the party stopped at the home of abolitionist and formerly enslaved person Frederick Douglass .

In April 1858, Tubman was introduced to the abolitionist John Brown , who advocated the use of violence to disrupt and destroy the institution of slavery. Tubman shared Brown’s goals and at least tolerated his methods. Tubman claimed to have had a prophetic vision of Brown before they met.

When Brown began recruiting supporters for an attack on slaveholders at Harper’s Ferry , he turned to “General Tubman” for help. After Brown’s subsequent execution, Tubman praised him as a martyr.

Tubman remained active during the Civil War. Working for the Union Army as a cook and nurse, Tubman quickly became an armed scout and spy . The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the Combahee River Raid, which liberated more than 700 slaves in South Carolina.

In an 1868 biography, writer Sarah H. Bradford gave an exaggerated estimate of the number of slaves Tubman directly led to safety via the Underground Railroad—as many as 300 across 19 trips. But according to Tubman’s accounts—and extensive documentation of her missions— the number is closer to about 70 family members and friends across 13 trips to Maryland between 1850 and 1860. She did not rescue enslaved people from all across the South , as it would have been too dangerous for her to travel to places where she was not familiar with the geography.

According to the National Park Service , Tubman carried a small pistol with her as a means of protection against slave catchers, as well as to give encouragement to worried runaways who otherwise might turn back and jeopardize the safety of her group.

Additionally, Tubman provided helpful instruction to about 70 slaves from the Eastern Shore who eventually found freedom on their own. Because of these efforts, she earned the nickname “Moses” for her leadership.

In 1844, Harriet married a free Black man named John Tubman. At the time, around half of the African American people on the eastern shore of Maryland were free, and it was not unusual for a family to include both free and enslaved people.

Little is known about John or his marriage to Harriet, including whether and how long they lived together. Any children they might have had would have been considered enslaved since the mother’s status dictated that of any offspring. John declined to make the voyage on the Underground Railroad with Harriet, preferring to stay in Maryland with a new wife.

In 1869, Tubman married a Civil War veteran named Nelson Davis. In 1874, the couple adopted a baby girl named Gertie.

In early 1859, abolitionist Senator William H. Seward sold Tubman a small piece of land on the outskirts of Auburn, New York. The land in Auburn became a haven for Tubman’s family and friends. Tubman spent the years following the war on this property, tending to her family and others who had taken up residence there.

Despite Tubman’s fame and reputation, she was never financially secure. Tubman’s friends and supporters raised some funds to support her. Bradford, an admirer, penned her 1868 biography, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman, with the proceeds going to Tubman and her family.

Tubman continued to give freely despite her economic woes. In 1903, she donated a parcel of her land to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Auburn. The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged opened on this site in 1908.

Tubman died of pneumonia on March 10, 1913, surrounded by friends and family, at around 93. As Tubman aged, the head injuries she sustained early in her life became more painful and disruptive. She underwent brain surgery at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital to alleviate the pains and “buzzing” she experienced regularly. Tubman was eventually admitted into the rest home named in her honor. She was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.

DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S HARRIET TUBMAN FACT CARD

Widely known and well-respected while she was alive, Tubman became an American icon years after she died. At the end of the 20th century, a survey named her as one of the most famous civilians in American history before the Civil War, third only to Betsy Ross and Paul Revere . She continues to inspire generations of Americans struggling for civil rights.

When Tubman died, the city of Auburn commemorated her life with a plaque on the courthouse. Tubman was celebrated in many other ways throughout the nation in the 20th century. Dozens of schools were named in her honor, and both the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn and the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge serve as monuments to her life.

In April 2016, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that Tubman would replace Jackson on the center of a new $20 bill. The announcement came after the Treasury Department received a groundswell of public comments following the Women on 20s campaign calling for a notable American woman to appear on U.S. currency. The decision was celebrated, as Tubman devoted her life to racial equality and fought for women’s rights.

In June 2015, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew was criticized for saying that a woman would likely appear on the $10 bill, which features a portrait of Alexander Hamilton , the influential founding father who found renewed popularity because of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton . The ultimate decision to have Tubman replace Jackson, a slaveholder who played a role in the removal of Native Americans from their land, was widely praised.

The unveiling of the new $20 bill featuring Tubman was planned for 2020 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. However, in May 2019, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that no new designs would be unveiled until 2026 due to counterfeiting issues. In June, the Treasury Department’s inspector general said it would investigate why the launch had been delayed.

In January 2021, the Biden administration said it would be “exploring ways to speed up" the release of the Tubman $20.

Multiple reports have suggested the redesigned bill featuring Tubman will debut in 2030 , although that is a “soft date” subject to change based on various factors.

Actor Cicely Tyson portrayed Tubman in A Woman Called Moses , a two-part 1978 miniseries about her life narrated by Orson Welles that aired on NBC.

A more recent adaptation of Tubman’s life was the 2019 movie Harriet , starring Cynthia Erivo as Tubman. The film chronicled Tubman’s life from her first marriage through her service freeing the enslaved. Erivo was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Screen Actor’s Guild Award for her role.

Watch Harriet on Prime Video.

• I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say; I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.
• I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.
• I grew up like a neglected weed—ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it.
• I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more, if only they knew they were slaves.
• Oh, Lord! You’ve been with me in six troubles, don’t desert me in the seventh!
• When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.
• I had crossed the line of which I had so long been dreaming. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom, I was a stranger in a strange land.
• I have known her long, and a nobler, higher spirit, or a truer, seldom dwells in the human form.
• The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism. Excepting John Brown—of sacred memory—I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than you have.
• I bring you one of the best and bravest persons on this continent — General Tubman as we call her.
• We will be ourselves and free, or die in the attempt. Harriet Tubman was not our great-grandmother for nothing.
• We saw the lightning and that was the guns; and then we heard the thunder and that was the big guns; and then we heard the rain falling and that was the blood falling; and when we came to get in the crops, it was dead men that we reaped.
• Much that you have done would seem improbable to those who do not know you as I know you.
• Her tales of adventure are beyond anything in fiction and her ingenuity and generalship are extraordinary.

‘ I ain't got no friend but you. Come to my help, Lord, for I'm in trouble!

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15 Books To Help Introduce Readers of All Ages to Harriet Tubman

Bring the inspiring abolitionist to life for students.

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman made a harrowing journey North, but her own emancipation wasn’t enough for her. She knew she had to help other enslaved people be free. Tubman went on to serve as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, plus work as a Union spy, a nurse, and a supporter of the women’s suffrage movement. These Harriet Tubman books offer deeper insights into her life for every level of reader.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.)

Harriet Tubman Books for Kids

1. moses: when harriet tubman led her people to freedom , by carol boston weatherford.

This Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King award-winning picture book combines lyrical text with gorgeous illustrations to tell Tubman’s story. It recounts how she heard the word of God telling her to seek freedom, then made 19 more trips to help her fellow enslaved people make the same journey.

2. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad , by Ann Petry

The late Ann Petry was a reporter, activist, pharmacist, and teacher and best known for writing The Street . It was the first book by a Black female author to sell more than a million copies. Her middle-grade Harriet Tubman biography is just as accessible and compelling. It also features a foreward by National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds.

3. Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom , by Catherine Clinton

Documentation of Tubman’s work as an Underground Railroad conductor is sparse, but Clinton is able to piece together one of the deepest portraits of her life. She also paints a detailed picture of the era, including depictions of the horrors of enslaved life as well as introductions to other abolitionists who are less well-known.

4. Who Was Harriet Tubman? , by Yona Zeldis McDonough

Part of the Who Was? series of biographies aimed at kids 8 to 12, this volume for the school-age set does a good job of introducing kids to Tubman’s life and times. It’s a good starting biography for more reluctant readers.

5. The Story of Harriet Tubman: A Biography Book for New Readers , by Christine Platt

Part of The Story Of: series of books (another biography series geared toward early independent readers), this book incorporates full-color illustrations and informational graphics to present children with a comprehensive picture of American slavery and the Civil War era.

6. National Geographic Readers: Harriet Tubman , by Barbara Kramer

The National Geographic brings its excellent reputation to this Harriet Tubman biography for the youngest independent readers (ages 5 to 8). With colorful photographs, illustrations, and informational graphics, this book is a great introduction to Tubman’s life story.

7. The Story of Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad , by Kate McMullan

First published in 1990, this biography geared for readers in 3rd to 6th grades is still a top pick. McMullen’s thorough but accessible text details how Tubman helped free more than 300 enslaved people as a conductor. It also sheds more light on her work as a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army.

8. I Am Harriet Tubman , by Brad Meltzer

This picture book biography is part of Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series , which have been made into a PBS Kids show. Eye-catching illustrations and a handy timeline give kids plenty to pore over and discuss.

9. Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman , by Dorothy Sterling

Published in 1987, this is one of the most popular Harriet Tubman books, thanks to Sterling’s excellent research and compelling narrative. The novelistic portrayal of Tubman’s life weaves in dialogue and historical, spiritual songs passed down through generations of enslaved people to provide a gripping portrayal of Tubman’s life and times.

10. She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman , by Erica Armstrong Dunbar

National Book Award finalist Dunbar’s modern and engaging look at Tubman’s life is a must-have for older readers. Featuring illustrations, photos (notably beyond the ones most often seen), and informational graphics, readers will get a lot out of this book even in a quick flip-through.

11. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky , by Faith Ringgold

Award-winning author and illustrator Ringgold brings back her character Cassie (from the picture book Tar Beach ) to tell the story of Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The book shines with gorgeous artwork and the author’s commitment to pulling no punches when it comes to talking about the atrocities of slavery.

12. The Underground Abductor: An Abolitionist Tale about Harriet Tubman , by Nathan Hale

Tubman and the Underground Railroad get the graphic novel treatment as the fifth entry in Hale’s Hazardous Tales series . Like the rest of his collection, Tubman’s story is presented as a comic-book style, complete with danger, comedy, and eye-catching artwork. Tween readers who respond to visual storytelling will get a lot out of this, plus a helpful bibliography of other related works.

13. Little People, Big Dreams: Harriet Tubman , by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara

By no means a full account of her life, this preschool-geared Harriet Tubman biography is a great starting point for the youngest learners to get a sense of her amazing life and brave expeditions.

14. What Was the Underground Railroad? , by Yona Zeldis McDonough

Though not ostensibly about Harriet Tubman, this book’s roundup of stories about “passengers” on the Underground Railroad (which was neither underground nor a railroad) provides a helpful primer for kids interested in learning more about the work for which Tubman is most famous.

15. Before She Was Harriet , by Lesa Cline-Ransome

This multi-award-winning picture book combines gorgeous poetry and stunning watercolor illustrations to tell the story of Tubman’s life. It begins with her as an old woman, traveling backward in time to visit herself in the many roles she played throughout history.

Looking for more inspiring books to share with your students? Check out our list of Martin Luther King Jr. books for all ages.

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The 5 Best Books on Harriet Tubman

Essential books on harriet tubman.

There are numerous books on Harriet Tubman, and it comes with good reason, after being born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue about 70 enslaved people , including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. Furthermore, during the American Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army.

“I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say – I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger,” she remarked.

In order to get to the bottom of what inspired one of America’s most consequential figures to the heights of societal contribution, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 best books on Harriet Tubman.

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton

Celebrated for her exploits as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman has entered history as one of nineteenth-century America’s most enduring and important figures. But just who was this remarkable woman? To John Brown, leader of the Harper’s Ferry slave uprising, she was General Tubman. For the many slaves she led north to freedom, she was Moses. To the slaveholders who sought her capture, she was a thief and a trickster. To abolitionists, she was a prophet.

Now, in a biography widely praised for its impeccable research and its compelling narrative, Harriet Tubman is revealed for the first time as a singular and complex character, a woman who defied simple categorization.

Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People by Sarah H. Bradford

This simple, unvarnished account recalls the courageous life of Harriet Tubman, one of the best-known “conductors” on the Underground Railroad. First published in 1869 and privately printed to raise funds for “the Moses of her people,” Sarah Bradford’s memorable biography recalls the former slave’s grim childhood; her perilous experiences leading slaves into Canada; her efforts as a Civil War nurse, cook, and scout for the Union Army; and her post-conflict endeavors to aid and educate former slaves.

An inspiring story of bravery, perseverance, and self-sacrifice, this accurate, reliable account by Tubman’s contemporary is essential reading for students of American history and African-American studies.

Bound for the Promised Land by Kate Clifford Larson

Harriet Tubman is one of the giants of American history – a fearless visionary who led scores of her fellow slaves to freedom and battled courageously behind enemy lines during the Civil War. Now, in this magnificent biography, historian Kate Clifford Larson gives us a powerful, intimate, meticulously detailed portrait of Tubman and her times.

Drawing from a trove of new documents and sources as well as extensive genealogical data, Larson presents Harriet Tubman as a complete human being – brilliant, shrewd, deeply religious, and passionate in her pursuit of freedom. A true American hero, Tubman was also a woman who loved, suffered, and sacrificed.

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry

Harriet Tubman was born a slave and dreamed of being free. She was willing to risk everything – including her own life – to see that dream come true. After her daring escape, Harriet became a conductor on the secret Underground Railroad, helping others make the dangerous journey to freedom.

Originally written for young people, this gem among books on Harriet Tubman is an accessible portrait of the woman who guided about 70 slaves to freedom and an award-winning introduction to the late abolitionist.

Freedom Train by Dorothy Sterling

Written for young people, Freedom Train tells the story of a young Harriet Tubman born into slavery who knew only hard work and hunger. Escape seemed impossible – certainly dangerous. Yet Harriet did escape North, by the secret route called the Underground Railroad. Harriet didn’t forget her people. Again and again she risked her life to lead them on the same secret, dangerous journey.

If you enjoyed this guide to the best books on Harriet Tubman, be sure to check out our list of The 10 Best Books on Rosa Parks !

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Harriet Tubman: A Little Golden Book Biography

By janay brown-wood illustrated by robert paul jr., part of little golden book, category: children's nonfiction | children's picture books.

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About Harriet Tubman: A Little Golden Book Biography

Inspire and educate your little one with a Little Golden Book biography about Harriet Tubman! It’s the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers—as well as fans of all ages! This Little Golden Book about Harriet Tubman–a true hero who helped to free enslaved Black people as a conductor on the Underground Railroad–is an inspiring read-aloud for young children. Look for more Little Golden Book biographies:  • Barack Obama  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg  • Joe Biden  • Kamala Harris  • Sonia Sotomayor  • Dr. Fauci

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Harriet Tubman: A Life From Beginning to End (American Civil War) Paperback – March 15, 2017

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Harriet tubman, inside you will read about....

• Part of series American Civil War
• Print length 37 pages
• Language English
• Publication date March 15, 2017
• Dimensions 6 x 0.09 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 1520655738
• ISBN-13 978-1520655734
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (March 15, 2017)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 37 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1520655738
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1520655734
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.26 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.09 x 9 inches
• #779 in American Civil War Biographies (Books)
• #1,897 in Women in History
• #7,148 in Women's Biographies

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Past Factory

Harriet Tubman: Little-Known Facts About The American Icon And Hero

Posted: April 4, 2024 | Last updated: April 4, 2024

A legendary abolitionist, political activist, and freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who dedicated and risked her life to help others gain their freedom as well. Utilizing the Underground Railroad, a network of anti-slavery safe houses, she led dozens of slaves to freedom, becoming a legend in her own right. However, this only scratches the surface of Tubman's actions.

Just keep clicking through to take a deeper look into the heroic life of Harriet Tubman, such as her service in the Union Army, and see how her actions went far beyond what's commonly known.

Her Exact Age Is Unknown

Harriet Tubman was born Araminta "Minty" Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. However, because she was born into slavery, her exact age is unclear. Some believe that she was born in the early 1820s, although the National Parks Conservation Association claims she was born in 1822.

She passed away in 1913 from pneumonia, which would have made her 91 years old according to the National Park Association's estimate. She was buried with military honors in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York.

A Head Injury Affected Her Entire Life

As a child, Tubman was subjected to beatings and whippings from several slave masters. On one occasion, she suffered a severe head wound when an enraged owner threw a heavy object at another slave but ended up hitting her instead.

The injury resulted in frequent dizziness, pain, and bouts of hypersomnia during her entire life. Following her injury, she also began experiencing visions and vivid dreams, which she interpreted as premonitions from God. This, along with being raised Methodist, led to her becoming extremely devout in her faith.

She Had An Issue With Abraham Lincoln

After the onset of the Civil War, it became nearly impossible for Harriet Tubman to continue her mission of rescuing slaves. So, she settled down in Port Royal, South Carolina helping abolitionists and the Union as a nurse to freed slaves. It was during this time that Tubman came into indirect conflict with Abraham Lincoln.

Tubman was working under General David Hunter, who was assembling a regiment of freed slaves. Lincoln believed that Hunter was moving too quickly and didn't have the right to emancipate Southern slaves. This led Tubman to write a not-so-nice letter to Lincoln, although she later regretted not meeting him.

She Escaped By Herself

In 1849, Tubman's master had died, and it was assumed that she and her family were going to be split up and sold off. On September 17, Harriet and her two brothers escaped but they ended up having second thoughts and returned, forcing Harriet to come with them. However, Harriet was determined, and escaped again -- on her own this time.

Although her exact route is unknown, she utilized the Underground Railroad made up of freed slaves and abolitionists. Following the North Star, Harriet traveled over 90 miles on foot until she finally made it to freedom in Pennsylvania.

The Myth About Her Bounty

Although she had a lot of notoriety, legend says that the slave owners in Maryland were so distraught by Tubman's freeing the slaves that they offered $40,000 for her capture, dead or alive. While this makes for a good story, it's only a myth. The only known bounty put on Tubman was just $100.

It's assumed that the larger dollar amount came from a letter written by an anti-slavery activist declaring that Tubman should be awarded $40,000 as a pension for her work in the Union Army during the Civil War.

She Rescued Over 70 Slaves In 13 Trips

Although the exact number of slaves that she helped remains unknown, it's estimated that Tubman helped at least 70 slaves escape the South through the use of the Underground Railroad.

She did this by either leading them directly or providing them with the information necessary to get out on their own. These trips ended at the beginning of the Civil War, although she noted to Frederick Douglass that nobody in her care ever died along the way.

Her Nickname Was Moses

Over the 11 years and numerous trips that Tubman returned to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to help escaped slaves, she made quite a name for herself both among the slaves and the slave owners.

Because of her bravery, skill, and determination, she was nicknamed "Moses" by those who she saved in her numerous trips. This is a reference to the prophet in the Bible, who led the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt to freedom.

She Was The First Woman To Lead An Armed Assault

In 1863, Tubman became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War. While under the command of Colonel James Montgomery, she led 150 black Union troops in steamboats across the Combahee River in South Carolina. She helped guide the boats around Confederate mines and traps in the water until finally reaching the shore.

They then set fire to the surrounding plantations as the slaves scrambled to the boats. In total, over 750 slaves were rescued during the raid, with Tubman being hailed for her "patriotism, sagacity, energy, [and] ability."

She Admired Frederick Douglass

In December 1851, Tubman was leading a group of 11 fugitive slaves in the hopes of getting them to Canada. it's believed that she ended up stopping at the home of abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass to see refuge.

In his third autobiography, he wrote: "On one occasion I had eleven fugitives at the same time under my roof, and it was necessary for them to remain with me until I could collect sufficient money to get them on to Canada." Because of the timing and number of people, this is believed to have been Tubman's group. The two admired each other greatly, with Douglass writing a letter when her biography was being composed.

She Was Still Mistreated After The War

Even though Tubman spent years in the Union military as a nurse, fighter, and a liaison to black Union units, she was still disrespected when the war finally ended. When she decided to settle down in Auburn, New York, it was clear the country was not grateful for her service.

On a train to Auburn, she was ordered to sit in the smoking car with the other black passengers. When she mentioned her service, the conductor grabbed her and a physical altercation ensued, resulting in Tubman getting injured. She was also denied compensation or a pension for her service for decades.

She Was Almost A Part Of The Raid On Harper's Ferry

In 1858, Harriet Tubman met John Brown, a white abolitionist who believed that he had been called by God to bring an end to slavery. Although Brown was much quicker to resort to violence than Tubman, the two worked together for a year.

Tubman is credited with assembling a fighting force of freed slaves that Brown would use to overrun the armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. When the time of the raid had come, Brown asked "General Tubman" to join him in battle, but she was not available. The raid was a complete disaster, and Brown was hanged for treason.

She Worked As A Scout For The Union Army

When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January of 1863, Tubman was further inspired and became a scout. She was a leader through the lands around Port Royal, and her knowledge of navigating bogs and rivers in stealth was put to use against the Confederacy.

She worked under the orders of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, mapping the unfamiliar terrain and observing its inhabitants. She also worked with Colonel James Montgomery, providing him with crucial information that resulted in the capture of Jacksonville, Florida.

She Had Brain Surgery Without Anesthesia

Even in her advancing age, her headaches and seizures from her early head injury continued to plague her. Finally, in the 1890s, she underwent brain surgery at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital. At that point, she was unable to sleep from the constant "buzzing" in her head and requested to have an operation.

According to Tubman, "[the surgeon] sawed open my skull and raised it up, and now it feels more comfortable." She did not receive anesthesia for the procedure and instead bit down on a bullet as she had seen Civil War soldiers do when they had their limbs amputated.

She Married A Younger Man

After settling in Auburn, New York, without a pension, Tubman struggled to make ends meet and was forced to make a living performing odd jobs and taking in boarders. One of these people living with her was a former Union soldier named Nelson Davis.

The two fell in love and were married, although Davis was more than 20 years younger. Together, they adopted a baby girl named Gertie in 1874 and lived together as a family. Unfortunately, Davis passed away on October 14, 1888, of tuberculosis.

She Was Scammed For Gold

Even though she received some money for a two-volume biography written by an admirer, she was still in desperate need of money. In 1873, two men approached Tubman about handling a gold transfer worth around $5,000, for $2,000 in cash.

In need of money and assuming the men were innocent, Tubman agreed to make the transfer. After borrowing the cash from a wealthy friend, she went to make the transfer. It was there that the men attacked her, rendered her unconscious with chloroform, and took the money.

She Became An Advocate For Women's Suffrage

After the Civil War and her time working as an abolitionist had ended, Tubman became involved with the women's suffrage movement. She toured around the east coast, telling her story and working alongside others such as Susan B. Anthony and Emily Howland.

When the National Federation of Afro-American Women was founded in 1896, she was the keynote speaker at the group's first meeting. Although she had made a name for herself in an entirely new cause, her poverty still forced her to sell a cow in order to attend a reception in Boston honoring her actions in the movement.

She Became Heavily Involved in The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

In the early 1900s, Tubman became deeply involved in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Auburn, New York. In 1903, she even donated a piece of real estate that she owned to the church, to be used as a home for "aged and indigent colored people."

The home opened five years later, although it charged a $100 entrance fee for each resident. Tubman was disgusted by this, commenting, "they make a rule that nobody should come in without they have a hundred dollars. Now I wanted to make a rule that nobody should come in unless they didn't have no money at all."

She Was An Impressive Nurse

While serving as a nurse in Port Royal, Harriet Tubman used the local fauna to help heal soldiers who were suffering and dying from dysentery. She also risked the chance of getting smallpox while tending to others, although she never contracted the disease.

This led some people to believe that she was protected by God. As a nurse, she received government rations, but when other freed slaves saw this as special treatment, she quickly gave them up and started selling pies instead.

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