Harriet Tubman's Life and Accomplishments

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The United States stopped importing slaves from Africa in 1808. After that, the majority of African American slaves were born into slavery (Sawyer 15). Many never considered the idea of freedom. Harriet Tubman was an ordinary slave girl with a vision for freedom. Harriet said, “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” (“Harriet Tubman”, BrainyQuote.com) The people that Harriet freed were people that actually wanted to be free and knew what freedom was. Harriet Tubman’s desire for freedom led to dangerous, creative means of escape from slavery (“Harriet Tubman”, The Biography Channel website). African American slave, Harriet Tubman, helped shape the course of history through her involvement in the Underground Railroad System, Civil War, and the Abolitionist Movement. Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Dorchester County, Maryland around the year 1820 (Petry 5). No one knows the exact date because her parents were illiterate and there was no birth certificate (Petry 4). Her master was Master Edward Brodas who lived in the big house on the plantation. Harriet had many siblings (Petry 5). She was the fifth child born to slave parents, Harriet Green and Ben Ross. Her “basket name” or pet name was Araminta (Alexander 2). When Harriet was very young, she lived on the Brodas Plantation with her mother and father. The cabins that they lived in were called “quarters” and they had no windows or floors. There was just one room and it was shared with the entire family. They had to sleep on the ground because there was no furniture. The “quarter” was not visible to the owner’s big house. Harriet heard the talk about freedom around the “quarters” and was very fascinat... ... middle of paper ... ... fought American slavery single handed and was a pioneer in the organized effort known as the Underground Railroad.” (Sawyer 113) Harriet Tubman’s life shows that one person can truly make a difference. Works Cited Alexander, Amy. "Harriet Tubman, A Hero In The War For Freedom." Investors Business Daily 7 Feb. 2013: Business Source Complete. Web. 7 February 2014. Beem, Jane A. "Secrets, Codes, and Signals." Appleseeds. March 2004: Print. "Harriet Tubman." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2014. 3 March 2014. “Harriet Tubman.” 2014. The Biography Channel website. 3 February 2014. “Harriet Tubman Timeline.” www.math.buffalo.edu. n.d . Web. 11 February 2014. Petry, Ann. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. New York, NY: Armistad Press, 2007. Print. Sawyer, Kem K. DK Biography: Harriet Tubman. New York, NY: DK Publishing, 2010. Print.

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