A picture of Harriet Tubman. (http://www.freewebs.com/birmingham-schools-kick-racism-out/influentialpeople.htm)

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” When Harriet Tubman said this quote she was referring to her own dream to make the lives of slaves better and to ultimately abolish slavery. The southern states of America widely practiced slavery until the United States Government passed the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 after the Civil War. Tubman herself was born a slave c. 1820, but decided to escape to the North at age 28. She traveled on the Underground Railroad, a secret network of routes and safe homes for fugitive slaves. After Tubman reached her destination, she became a “conductor” for the Underground Railroad. Tubman made nineteen journeys to the South and escorted 300 slaves to freedom. Among these slaves were her seventy year old parents. On her trips from the South to the North, Tubman never lost a “passenger.” When Tubman was not secretly “conducting”, she publicly advocated for abolition and women’s rights. She also served in the Civil War as a nurse for the Union and used her pension to aid the sick, poor and homeless. In her old age, Tubman opened the John Brown Home for the Aged which they later renamed the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged after her death in 1913. In her lifetime, Tubman possessed the characteristics of courage, intelligence, and determination. Without her courage, Tubman would not have been able to leave her controlling husband and pursue her dream. Without her intelligence, Tubman would not have been the most famous Underground Railroad “conductor” or a prominent abolitionist and suffragist. Without her strong will and determination, Tubman would not have been able to surpass the obstacles that were thrown in her path. Armed with these characteristics, a dream, and a mind geared towards helping others, Harriet Tubman is the true definition of a hero.

Harriet Tubman leading her passengers. (http://cbalaguer905.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/hello-world/)

Harriet Tubman’s undying courage is one of her most predominant character traits. Even at a young age, Harriet Tubman’s courage showed in her actions: “When Tubman was about 13, a fellow slave attempted to escape. The overseer (slave supervisor) tried to pursue the runaway, but Tubman blocked his path. Enraged, the overseer hurled a two-pound weight at the fleeing slave, only to strike Tubman in the forehead” (“Harriet Tubman.” U*X*L Biographies). The young Tubman was brave enough to stand up for a fellow slave, even when it could have resulted in severe punishments. She did not stand by and watch another slave get hurt. She took initiative and helped another person in need. She took the risk of getting punished for the well-being of another person. This is a sign of true heroism. Later in her life, when Tubman was 28, she felt unhappy in her marriage as she and her husband did not share the same vision for freedom and decided to leave him to pursue her own dream: “In 1848, with two brothers (who later became frightened and returned), she ran away, leaving her husband, John Tubman, a free man who had threatened to expose her, behind” (“Harriet Ross Tubman.”). Tubman had a dream of being free and helping slaves escape to the North. She envisioned a better life for all slaves. Being a slave herself, there would be terrible consequences if her owner caught her. In spite of that, she fearlessly sought to help others. Even though she knew her husband would expose her, she left everything to pursue her dream. Tubman’s courage and bravery were among her greatest heroic traits.

Harriet Tubman at an Underground Railroad Station. (http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html)

Though she did not have a formal education, another one of Tubman’s most important character traits was her intelligence. Tubman utilized techniques on her journeys to the South. She “would appear in slave cabins on a Saturday night disguised as a man or as an old woman. She would then lead a group of passengers to safety the following morning, knowing slave owners would not pursue on a Sunday” (“Harriet Tubman.” U*X*L Biographies). She would also confuse slave hunters by taking different paths every time. Once, she overheard a group of men talking about her wanted poster which stated that she was illiterate. Immediately, she pulled out a book and feigned reading it to fool them. Tubman became the most famous Underground Railroad “conductor” because of these techniques and methods. She became a hero to many due to her successful rescue missions. Without her intelligence, Tubman could not have formulated the techniques to make this possible. A person without this trait could not have been as successful as Tubman was on her journeys. Tubman also spoke at anti-slavery and woman’s rights events when she wasn’t on the Underground Railroad: “In the late 1850s she spoke at a few anti-slavery meetings and in 1860 at a women’s rights meeting, where her oratorical skills were praised” (“Harriet Tubman.” Contemporary Black Biography). Tubman’s audience highly regarded her for her speeches and lectures. She not only spoke up for abolition and women’s rights, but also motivated others to join her cause. One needs intelligence to organize a lecture, much less a good one. Many people viewed Harriet Tubman as a hero because of her intelligence and extraordinary leadership skills. A true hero has the power to motivate others no matter the circumstances.

A poster warning abolitionists of the new law. (http://www.fr33agents.com/1184/the-heroes-of-the-underground-railroad/)

Harriet Tubman’s strong will and determination is undoubtedly another trait that makes her stand out as a hero. While leading a group of fugitives on the Underground Railroad, Tubman made sure that she never lost a passenger on the way: “Tubman employed many tactics to keep her groups moving to freedom--she drugged crying babies with paregoric, an opium derivative; boarded southbound trains to confuse slave hunters; assumed various disguises; leading the weary and frightened fugitives in singing spirituals; and threatened to kill escapees who tried to go back by pulling out her revolver and shouting at them, ‘move or die’” (“Harriet Tubman.” Contemporary Black Biography). Tubman had a goal and would do anything to achieve it including drugging babies, and threatening to shoot her “passengers.” She was so focused on getting her fugitives to freedom that she would do whatever it took to get her group to safety. While chasing her dream of abolishing slavery and helping slaves escape the South, two major obstacles arose: “In 1850 the Federal Fugitive Slave Law was reinforced with a clause that promised punishment to anyone who aided an escaping slave. In addition, a price of $40,000 was set for Tubman’s capture. Thus she began transporting some slaves past the North to refuge in Canada” (“Harriet Ross Tubman.”). Tubman faced many obstacles while pursuing her dream of abolishing slavery. The government could now punish her for helping slaves and there was a $40,000 reward set for her capture. Even with the burden of these obstacles and with the North growing increasingly dangerous, Tubman still continued to return to the South to help free more slaves. With more slave hunters trying to find her for the bounty, she still risked her life and her freedom to pursue her goal. Harriet Tubman had her heart set on making a difference. Her strong willpower and unbelievable determination allowed her to be one of the greatest heroes of all time.

Harriet Tubman (http://www.boerner.net/jboerner/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Harriet_Tubman1.jpg)

Tubman possessed courage, intelligence, determination and a dream. She always had good intentions at heart. This is what makes her a true hero. Starting from a young age, Harriet Tubman had a dream. She wanted to make life better for all slaves and she wanted slavery abolished. This dream motivated everything she did. She had the strength, the patience, and of course the passion to pursue her dreams. Fredrick Douglass, a fellow abolitionist said in one of his letters to her: “The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism” (“Harriet Tubman.” Contemporary Black Biography). Even today, people are fighting for their basic rights and freedom in some parts of the world. In our country, where freedom is taken for granted, there are still social issues that require leadership. Heroes like Harriet Tubman motivate us to rise up and fight for these causes. In spite of all obstacles, Tubman continued following her heart and helping others until the very end. She has inspired us to do our very best and pursue our dreams. She has reached for the stars and changed the world with her actions.

Works Cited

“Harriet Ross Tubman.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

“Harriet Tubman.” Contemporary Black Biography. Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale, 1995. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

“Harriet Tubman.” U*X*L Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.