Part of the 3rd Grade East She Persisted Series

Introduction

Can you imagine being owned by someone who could sell you and do what they wanted to do to you and if you did something wrong, even a very little thing like crying, they would whip you—would you want to run away? Well it was nearly impossible! Harriet Tubman was treated like that because she was enslaved. Eventually she escaped! And even came back for her family! 

Early Years

Harriet Tubman has some important information in her childhood. As you probably know, she was enslaved, so she started working when she was 6 and doesn’t know her birthday. Another interesting fact is Harriet didn’t always live on the same farm as her parents, but she was still owned by the same owner. And if you’re wondering if she had a name before Harriet, her given name was Araminta. Harriet’s owner was thinking about selling her and she prayed to God that he’d change his mind. She changed her prayer after a while to: “God if you won’t make him change his mind, kill him, God kill him.” Soon after her owner died. Another story is once she saw a slave running away and she refused to stop the man. The slave’s owner threw a two-pound weight at him but hit Harriet instead and it knocked her out. It also fractured her skull. And she received no medical care! After she got hit, she kept having vivid dreams that she would be flying over cities and there was a big open meadow behind a fence but she could never get over the fence. She also had sleeping spells where she would have visions of what would happen next or what had already happened, and no one would be able to wake her. The last story is that Harriet’s mother protected one of her brothers from people who wanted to buy him. First she hid him. Eventually they found him, but she didn’t let them take him. These are not the only stories, but some interesting ones from her childhood. 

Adulthood Facts 

There are also interesting and important adulthood facts for Harriet. In the fall of 1849 when she was in her twenties, Harriett tried to escape with her brothers, but they got scared at some point and dragged her back. When they were waiting for their owners, she ran into the woods and escaped. Later she came back to rescue her family and other slaves by the Underground Railroad. People called her the Moses of her people because of how she led people to freedom. Here’s another story from when she was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She had bought some live chickens and saw one of her old masters. By disturbing the chickens, she got away because her old master was so focused on the chickens, he didn’t see Harriet’s face. The second to last thing about Harriet for today is Harriet spent some time at Fort Monroe because she helped as a nurse at the end of the Civil War. Fort Monroe was an important fort in the Civil War and during the war, General Butler decreed that all slaves behind the Union lines would be protected at Fort Monroe. The final thing about Harriet for today is once Harriet ran out of money, but she was so determined to keep her passengers safe, she sold some of her own clothes, including her underwear. 

Accomplishments

Harriet had some big accomplishments in her life. One of her big accomplishments was that she saved 60-70 slaves as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Another big accomplishment is she fought on the North side and helped win the Civil War. For example, she was the first woman to lead a military expedition which also saved thousands of slaves. She is a big part of history with many books about her and much more. 

Conclusion

Harriet Tubman kept working to end slavery, even if it meant risking her freedom. She helped free slaves on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. During the Civil War, she helped in many positions. First she was a nurse, then she was a spy, and the first woman to lead a military expedition. She helped many slaves escape and helped end slavery. She was a great leader who fought for civil rights. 

“I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.”

-Harriet Tubman