African- American History Month: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery near the eastern shore of Maryland. Harriet married a free black man named John Tubman in 1844. Harriet remained a slave, but she was allowed to stay in Tubman's cabin at night. In 1849, the owner of the plantation on which she worked died and many of the slaves were scheduled to be sold.

Harriet escaped with the help of the Underground Railroad. The next year, Harriet traveled back to Maryland and rescued her sister's family, followed by the rescue of her brothers to the North.

Through the years, Harriet made 19 trips on the Underground Railroad and freed more than 300 slaves. She was nicknamed the "Moses of her people" for leading them to freedom. With the arrival of the Civil War, Harriet became a spy for the Union army. She later worked in Washington DC as a government nurse.

In 1870, Harriet married Nelson Davis, who she had met at a South Carolina army base. They were married for 18 years until Davis' death. On March 10, 1913, Harriet died of pneumonia. She was 93 years old.

Rate This
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

  Be the first to Comment