Harriet Tubman: Life and Contributions

Early Life

• Born as Araminta "Minty" Ross into slavery.
• Parents freed but minty's family remained enslaved due to refusal of slave owner's descendants.
• Experienced separation from family, a common occurrence for black families under slavery.
• Worked as a domestic worker and in fields; suffered from measles.

Turning Point

• Injured by an overseer; suffered a fractured skull leading to lifelong seizures and probable epilepsy.
• Began having dreams and visions possibly related to her head injury.

Marriage and Escape

• Married John Tubman, a free black man, and changed her name to Harriet.
• First escape in 1849 after her enslaver's death, helped by the Underground Railroad to reach Philadelphia.

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

• Made even Northern states unsafe for escaped enslaved individuals.
• Harriet returned to rescue family and friends multiple times.
• Notably rescued her niece's family, her brothers, and others, eventually taking them to Canada.

Underground Railroad

• By 1854, had rescued nearly 30 people including family.
• Known for her bravery and the physical dangers involved in her missions.
• Gave opium to infants to keep them quiet during escapes.

Abolitionist Efforts

• Known as "Moses" for her role in leading people to freedom.
• Became close with John Brown, supported his radical abolitionist actions.
• Involved in planning but not directly in Brown's Harpers Ferry raid.

Civil War

• Served as a spy for the Union, gathering information in South Carolina.
• Led the Combahee River Raid in 1863, freeing 750 enslaved people, marking the first armed expedition led by a woman in the US.

Post-War Life

• Returned to New York, faced racial discrimination and violence even as a war veteran.
• Denied military pension initially, lived in poverty.
• Continued advocacy for women's suffrage and racial equality.

Legacy

• Received pensions late in life for her husband's and her service.
• Donated her home for use as an old age home, indicative of her commitment to social reform.
• Died in 1913, not living to see women's suffrage achieved.

Significance

• Harriet Tubman's life exemplifies the struggle against slavery, her role in the Civil War, and continued fight for equality.
• Her work with the Underground Railroad, military service, and later social reform efforts highlight her enduring impact on American history.