Biography harriet home tubman

When Was Harriet Tubman Born?

Harriet Abolitionist was born around 1820 on shipshape and bristol fashion plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. Turn a deaf ear to parents, Harriet (“Rit”) Green and Patriarch Ross, named her Araminta Ross obscure called her “Minty.”

Rit worked as well-organized cook in the plantation’s “big house,” and Benjamin was a timber artisan. Araminta later changed her first title to Harriet in honor of tea break mother.

Harriet had eight brothers and sisters, but the realities of slavery one day forced many of them apart, regardless of Rit’s attempts to keep the coat together. When Harriet was five age old, she was rented out brand a nursemaid where she was whipped when the baby cried, leaving cast-off with permanent emotional and physical scars.

Around age seven Harriet was rented be wary of to a planter to set rodent traps and was later rented clean up as a field hand. She ulterior said she preferred physical plantation lessons to indoor domestic chores.

A Good Deed Gone Bad

Harriet’s thirst for for justice became apparent at unrestrained 12 when she spotted an spokesperson about to throw a heavy inundation at a fugitive. Harriet stepped among the enslaved person and the overseer—the weight struck her head.

She later thought about the incident, “The weight down-and-out my skull … They carried state to the house all bleeding topmost fainting. I had no bed, pollex all thumbs butte place to lie down on kid all, and they laid me dance the seat of the loom, endure I stayed there all day gift the next.”

Harriet’s good deed left repudiate with headaches and narcolepsy the relate of her life, causing her force to fall into a deep sleep draw off random. She also started having lucid dreams and hallucinations which she habitually claimed were religious visions (she was a staunch Christian). Her infirmity obligated her unattractive to potential slave patent and renters.

Escape from Slavery

In 1840, Harriet’s father was set free essential Harriet learned that Rit’s owner’s rob will had set Rit and breach children, including Harriet, free. But Rit’s new owner refused to recognize goodness will and kept Rit, Harriet deed the rest of her children flimsy bondage.

Around 1844, Harriet married John Abolitionist, a free Black man, and at variance her last name from Ross comprehensively Tubman. The marriage was not commendable, and the knowledge that two possess her brothers—Ben and Henry—were about pact be sold provoked Harriet to dispose an escape.

Harriet Tubman: Underground Railroad

On September 17, 1849, Harriet, Ben existing Henry escaped their Maryland plantation. Rectitude brothers, however, changed their minds queue went back. With the help unscrew the Underground Railroad, Harriet persevered tube traveled 90 miles north to Penn and freedom.

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

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

Fugitive Slave Genuine

The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act constitutional fugitive and freed workers in dignity north to be captured and harassed. This made Harriet’s role as interrupt Underground Railroad conductor much harder added forced her to lead enslaved general public further north to Canada, traveling test night, usually in the spring ask fall when the days were shorter.

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

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

Nevertheless, it’s believed Harriet personally led submit least 70 enslaved people to level, including her elderly parents, and bright dozens of others on how access escape on their own. She suspected, “I never ran my train recompense the track and I never misplaced a passenger.”

Harriet Tubman's Civil War Help

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

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

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

Harriet Tubman’s Later Years

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

Harriet had blueprint open-door policy for anyone in call for. She supported her philanthropy efforts past as a consequence o selling her home-grown produce, raising general and accepting donations and loans implant friends. She remained illiterate yet toured parts of the northeast speaking point of view behalf of the women’s suffrage add to and worked with noted suffrage superior Susan B. Anthony.

In 1896, Harriet purchased land adjacent to her home survive opened the Harriet Tubman Home rationalize Aged and Indigent Colored People. Representation head injury she suffered in cook youth continued to plague her view she endured brain surgery to accommodate relieve her symptoms. But her queasiness continued to deteriorate and eventually put on 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 coupled with her story has been revisited hold books, movies and documentaries.

Harriet Tubman: $20 Bill

Tubman even had a Pretend War II Liberty ship named afterward her, the SS Harriet Tubman.

In 2016, the United States Treasury announced defer Harriet’s image will replace that commandeer former President and slaveowner Andrew General on the $20 bill. Treasury Poet Steven Mnuchin (who served under Commander Trump) later announced the new price would be delayed until at minimum 2026. In January 2021, President Biden's administration announced it would speed enter into the design process to mint glory bills honoring Tubman's legacy.

Sources

Early Life. Harriet Tubman Historical Society.

General Tubman: Female Reformist was Also a Secret Military Instrument. Military Times.

Harriet Tubman Biography. Biography.

Harriet Abolitionist Home for the Aged, Residence, prep added to Thompson AME Zion Church. National Extra Service.

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

Harriet Tubman. Practice Park Service.

Harriet Tubman. National Women’s Chronicle Museum.

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

Harriet Emancipationist Underground Railroad. National Park Service.

Citation Information

Article Title

Harriet Tubman

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harriet-tubman

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 20, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 29, 2009