The Legacy of Harriet Tubman

1754 Words4 Pages

Discrimination and slavery filled our nation in the mid 19th century. African Americans were discriminated and seen as “property,” not human beings. Having been born as a slave, Harriet Tubman was no stranger to the harsh reality of slavery. Tubman’s childhood included working as a house servant and later in the cotton fields. With the fear of being sold, Tubman decided to escape for a better life. Harriet Tubman spent her life trying to save others from slavery, becoming one of the most famous women of her time who was able to influence the abolition of slavery, and effect the lives of many African Americans.
Harriet Tubman was born in 1820 as Aranminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. She later changed her name to Harriet after her mother, and when she married a free black man named John Tubman in 1844, she took his last name. As a child since she was born into slavery, she had jobs such as working as a house servant and later on she worked in the cotton fields. “Physical violence was a part of daily life for Tubman and her family. The violence she suffered early in life caused permanent physical injuries” (Harriet Tubman Biography). At the age of twelve, Tubman has an incident that effected her severely. She had narcolepsy, also known as sleeping spells, which would make her be able to fall asleep at any time or place, that was caused by a severe hit to the head by a two pound iron weight that was thrown at another slave. The weight hit Tubman in the head though, disabling her. “The line between freedom and slavery was hazy for Tubman and her family. Harriet Tubman’s father, Ben, was freed from slavery at the age of 45, as stipulated in the will of a previous owner. By the time Harriet reached adulthood, around half of ...

... middle of paper ...

..., she was able to bring over three-hundred slaves to freedom. Even with her life on the line she stopped at nothing to save her family and others. On Harriet Tubman’s tombstone in Fort Hill Cemetery it reads, “Servant of God, Well Done.”

Works Cited

"Harriet Tubman." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
"Harriet Tubman Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
"Harriet Tubman - Leading Slaves into Freedom." Harriet Tubman - Leading Slaves into Freedom. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
"30 Facts about Harriet Tubman." 30 Facts about Harriet Tubman. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
"Abolitionist Movement." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
"John Brown's Harpers Ferry." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014.
"Fugitive Slave Acts." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014.

Open Document