Who Was Harriet Tubman?
Harriet Tubman is a prominent topic in the news recently, even though she passed away just over 100 years ago. Voted number one in a poll centered on replacing Andrew Jackson’s picture on the $20 bill, many people who don’t remember her from history class are wondering just who was this Harriet Tubman that everyone is talking about.
Harriet Tubman won the poll as the woman to put on the $20! It’s not official, but until it is, I’m gonna draw her face on any bill I find.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 13, 2015
Born into slavery sometime between 1820 and 1825 as Araminta “Minty” Harriet Ross, Harriet Tubman would grow up to challenge the laws of slavery and fight her way to freedom. Though her father was freed from his bondage later in his life, her mother remained a slave, and so Harriet Tubman and her eight brothers and sisters remained enslaved as well, according to Biography.
In 1844, although Harriet married John Tubman, a free black man, she still remained a slave. In 1849, Harriet escaped the plantation with brothers Ben and Henry, but when a $300 dollar reward was offered for their return, Ben and Henry went back home. Harriet Tubman would not cower, however, and traveled through the Underground Railroad to safety and freedom in Philadelphia.
“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.”
The following year, Harriet Tubman learned that her niece, Kessiah, and her two children were slated to be sold. Kessiah’s husband, a free man, was the highest bidder, and Harriet escorted them all to the safety of Philadelphia. She did not stop there. Making the highly dangerous trip back to the south time and time again, Harriet managed to lead scores of people to freedom, including both her parents and many of her siblings. This heroism and leadership led to the nickname “Moses”. Harriet’s ex-husband, John Tubman, was newly remarried and chose to stay with his second wife rather than move to Philadelphia.
After her escape, Harriet Tubman’s “owner” posted this ad offering a reward for her capture. Nope. You lose, slaver. pic.twitter.com/d6R6Tw45xG
— JRehling (@JRehling) May 12, 2015
In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, stating that slaves could be taken from freedom in the north and returned to slavery. Many people, both escaped slaves and legally free people, were abducted from the north and turned over to plantation owners. Harriet Tubman rerouted the existing Underground Railroad into Canada, which was completely free of slavery.
During the Civil War, Harriet assisted as a cook, nurse, armed scout, and spy. She was the first woman to lead an armed expedition, resulting in the freedom of a whopping 700 plus slaves from South Carolina.
This is but a highlight of the heroic deeds performed by Harriet Tubman. It is easy to see why America might choose Tubman as the top contender for gracing the $20 dollar bill, beating out Eleanor Roosevelt, Wilma Mankiller, and Rosa Parks, according to USA Today.
Now that you know a little more about Harriet Tubman, would you like to see her face in your wallet?
[Image via Bing]
