It was night, and Harriet Tubman and her brothers began their journey to freedom. But when she looked back, she saw that her brothers were not following behind her. They were frozen in fear, thinking about the fact that they could get caught and face awful consequences. With their fear increasing, they said their goodbyes and headed back to their owners’ house.1 Saddened and alone, Harriet began walking north; nothing was going to stop her from getting what she always wanted, and that was her freedom.
One day, around the age twelve, Harriet Tubman’s owner threw a heavy weight at her after a fit of rage came over him. This fractured her skull, which applied pressure to her brain, and it made her have disabilities while growing up. This wasn’t the only pain Tubman had throughout her childhood. She also saw her sister being sold and taken away from them. Afterward, her parents were saddened and asked themselves why life was the way it was for them.2 Harriet Tubman didn’t know it then, but the struggles she faced when she was a child were only preparing her for the greater things she was going to achieve much later.
By the time Harriet Tubman had grown older and wedded, not many changes had been made in regards to the treatment of African-American slaves. In the 1840s, Tubman, along with her husband, John Tubman, a free man, worked with her brothers as cotton field slaves. During this period, it had become known to her that their master had made plans to sell her and her brothers, leading the family to be separated once again. If the idea of being separated from her family had not been fearful enough for Tubman, the unspoken horrors of being sent further South added to the horror of being torn away from what she already knew.3
Within her, the desire to be free became stronger and stronger. It had grown so much within her that she spoke to her husband John about it, to which he responded that he would tell her master if she ever attempted to run away. John being a free man held a certain power over his wife that she was not capable of fighting. Since her husband had made his opinion known to her what he would do if she were to try and escape, their last known moments together were filled with tension, and Harriet was on edge constantly.4 However, even with the threats coming from John, this did not fully keep Harriet from planning her escape; it had just delayed it. More than ever, she was determined to become free and leave her condition of dependence on not only her master, but also on her husband. She was very careful in discussing her plans to run away and when she would do it.5
On the night of her escape, she gathered her brothers and began singing a song to the other slaves, telling them that they were leaving. She led the way north, but when she turned around, she saw that her brothers were not following. They were afraid that they would get caught and face horrible consequences. They said their goodbyes to their sister and headed back to their master’s house. Even though Harriet was now alone, and much more vulnerable than before, she headed North towards her freedom.6 Tubman would travel during the night, because it made it harder for people to see her, and she would hide out during the day with people she could trust. After long days of traveling, she finally reached a Northern state, where she could be a free woman.
Yet even gaining her freedom, she could not stop thinking about her brothers and how they were still living as slaves. She decided to create a plan to go back and rescue her brothers. She knew that it would be extremely dangerous to return to the southern states because of the Fugitive Slave Act, which stated that it made it illegal for slaves to escape and illegal for anyone to help them. It also made it easier for slave owner to reclaim their slaves after they escaped.7
With the help of the Quakers, she was able to help her brothers and niece to escape.8 She did not want to stop there, so she returned to the South nineteen more times to help rescue more people. They called it the Underground Railroad, which is what Harriet Tubman is famously known for. The courage she showed, to be able to escape and then go back to help others also escape, has been greatly valued ever since. She helped others find the courage within them to fight for the abolition of slavery.
- Sarah Bradford, Harriet Tubman The Moses of Her People (New York: Corinth Books Inc., 1961), 29. ↵
- Sarah Bradford, Harriet Tubman The Moses of Her People (New York: Corinth Books Inc., 1961), 14-15. ↵
- James McGowan, Harriet Tubman: A Biography (Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood. 2011), 4-6. ↵
- Rosemary Sadlier, Harriet Tubman Freedom Seeker, Freedom Leader (Dundurn, 2012), 48-49. ↵
- Rosemary Sadlier, Harriet Tubman Freedom Seeker, Freedom Leader (Dundurn, 2012), 48. ↵
- Sarah Bradford, Harriet Tubman The Moses of Her People (New York: Corinth Books Inc., 1961), 29. ↵
- Encyclopedia of African American History, 2010, s.v. “Fugitive Slave Act of 1850,” by Alfred L. Brophy. ↵
- Rosemary Sadlier, Harriet Tubman Freedom Seeker, Freedom Leader (Dundurn, 2012), 50. ↵
84 comments
Kayla Lopez
I found it very refreshing to read about the strong and courageous Harriet Tubman outside of a school textbook. The pictures used really added to the story and made me want to continue reading because some of the pictures I have never seen before. This was a short and sweet article that was filled with rich information that was easy to understand. The introduction was very strong as well.
Iris Henderson
The story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad is one that most are familiar with by now. One fact I was previously unaware of was the fact that her husband John threatened to tell her master. It takes great strength to do what she did for her family and for others. Tubman was definitely a hero and will be forever remembered for her activism and courage.
Cheyanne Redman
Growing I learned much about Harriet Tubman in my elementary, and middle school years and I have always found her extremely inspirational. She risked her life to transport slaves using the underground railroad, and that just shows how powerful women really are. I find it sicking that the beating of slaves, another human being, was so regulated that it wasn’t seen as wrong. I had no idea that Tubman had a disability, let alone from being beaten. This article is very interesting in my opinion, and well written.
Carlos Vazquez
The story of the underground railroad and Harriet Tubman, is one of the most important in History. This article does a good job at talking about how she felt and what led her to go back to save family. She was able to liberate hundreds of slaves and she has become one of the most influential female figures in this countrys history. Her courage empowered other slaves to fight for freedom and she is now remembered as a hero.
Tyler Thompson
At least once in someone’s life, they have to have heard of the story of the Underground Railroad. Prior to reading this, I was not aware that she had a husband, and that she was trying to “escape” him too. It was truly a courageous act that she did, and thank goodness she was brave enough to help others in need. The author described her feelings, and showed her ambition to become free very well.
Anna Guaderrama
Everyone knows Harriet Tubman as this great inspirational and courageous woman who created the Underground Railroad, but I’m not sure many people know some of the more personal details about her life. For example, I wasn’t aware that she was married or that her husband was even a free man. From what I read, I not only learned more about who Harriet Tubman really was not only as an activist who fought for freedom, but as the person that brought her to become that great leader.
Samuel Stallcup
Harriet Tubman was always a popular and recognizable figure in high school history courses. Her work with the Underground Railroad and her story have always been really interesting, for it seemed almost impossible to escape slavery during this time period. I really enjoyed how you were able to discuss and showcase Harriet’s feelings during her quest to freedom. Great article.
Caroline Bush
The story of Harriet Tubman is a inspirational one and is something that I never get tired of hearing about. Harriet Tubman showed more bravery and kindness than anyone else during her time. If not for her many men and women would still be slaves and suffering. I find it amazing that even though Tubman successfully crossed into the north she went back because she wanted to rescue her brothers. I never knew Tubman had a disability as a result of a weight being thrown at her head. This makes me appreciate her more because it shows even though she had to go through many trials and tribulations as a slave, she still went on to create the underground railroad and save many men and women. This was a great article about a amazing women good job.
Rafael Lopez-Rodriguez
The story of Harriet Tubman is a very inspirational one. The risks that Tubman took to free all of those slaves was a big one. I do not think that if it wasn’t for her, the history books would be written differently. I think the way she helped free the slaves and her return trips to free more is why we talk about her and because of her story, slavery is abolished later on. Tubman is a very important piece in our history.
Reese Lujan
Harriet Tubman is one of the most influential people in today’s history. People looked at her as a symbol of courage and now know the knowledge I obtain on her from this article helps me see she is much more than that. Knowing that she was abused by one of her owners just because of her disability really shows the strength she obtains as a strong individual. I find inspiration in her courage, strength, strong will, and ability to help others and put others before her.