Harriet Tubman

(www.americaslibrary.gov ())

Araminta Ross, better known as Harriet Tubman, was a former slave who successfully made nineteen trips into the South to liberate more than 300 slaves without losing a single person along the way. Though it may seem like she had an easy life; Harriet did not always have the freedom she desired so much. Araminta Ross was born around 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland ("Harriet Tubman Contemporary). She was one of eleven enslaved children to Harriet Green and Benjamin Ross, later adopting the name, Harriet ("Harriet Tubman" Contemporary). In 1844, she married John Tubman, a free black man and planned to escape Maryland ("Harriet Tubman" Contemporary). Harriet Tubman left her husband in 1849 and traveled to the free state of Pennsylvania with the help of the Underground Railroad, a secretive organization that helped free slaves trapped in the South ("Harriet Tubman" Contemporary). During her time there, she saved up money to rescue other slaves, but in 1850, Tubman lost her status of "free" due to the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law and decided to escape to St. Catharines, Ontario ("Tubman, Harriet" International). Anyone who possesses bravery and determination can be considered a hero. Having bravery means to have courage and strength in the face of fear while having determination means to never give up on something. Harriet Tubman is worthy of the title hero because she possesses both bravery and determination when faced up against severe conditions.

(marlinlibrary.weebly.com ())

Throughout her nineteen expeditions into the South, Harriet Tubman showed bravery and courage while being hunted in a dangerous land. After the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, no black person was safe in the North, which led Harriet to seek refuge in Canada. "Because conditions in the North became increasingly dangerous, Tubman left Philadelphia for St. Catharines, Canada, a small city with a large community of escaped blacks. While living in St. Catharines from 1851 to 1857, she made two trips each year into the South, assisting people to safety. "In later years, Tubman noted with pride: 'I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.' And indeed, none of the fugitives she guided was ever captured" ("Harriet Tubman" Contemporary). Harriet Tubman became aware of the dangerous conditions in the North which caused her to seek shelter in Ontario. Even though she was putting her life at risk, Harriet repeatedly returned to the South so she could bring freedom to the enslaved. Her strong will created an unbreakable bravery that assisted her on her journeys to save her people. Harriet's life work was dedicated to liberating as many slaves as she could even though it was a risky job. "Her dangerous missions won her the biblical name "Moses" and the admiration of abolitionists throughout the North, including Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucretia Mott, Gerrit Smith, and Susan B. Anthony, among others, who supported her and sought her counsel" ("Tubman, Harriet" International). Harriet was able to influence other important abolitionists by displaying a lack of fear during her risky missions. Tubman earned respect many slaves who dubbed her "Moses" which proves she had influence on everyone around her due to her bravery on and off the railroad. Harriet Tubman was fully aware of the dangers and consequences of what her journeys could bring; and yet, she continued to liberate slaves from the South which showed that she possessed bravery and valor.

Tubman's determination to continue rescuing more slaves shows that she is a person worthy of being called a hero. Many Southerners who learned of Harriet's passages offered high rewards for her capture, but she never stopped her missions. "Each time she made the dangerous journey, she risked being captured and returned to her owner, or even killed. As word of her daring rescues spread, white Southerners offered a large reward for her capture. But although she had some close calls, she never ran into serious trouble" ("Harriet Tubman" American). Even though her life was at risk; she still made journeys to help those still enslaved in the South. Her ability to have strength while matched against uneven odds proved that Harriet Tubman was determined to create justice. Even though Tubman escaped slavery by herself, she was aware of the countless others who sought freedom and made it her duty to rescue them. "After her escape from slavery in 1849, Harriet Tubman defiantly reentered the slave-holding south approximately nineteen times to lead more than 300 men, women, and children, to freedom in the North and Canada. During the Civil War, Tubman served the North's Union Army as a nurse, scout, and spy, and in her later years, founded a home for older, impoverished black people. Because of her daring and courage, Tubman became known as the "Moses" of her people" ("Harriet Tubman"Contemporary). Harriet Tubman continued to liberate slaves in the South even after bounties were put on her head. Her services throughout her lifetime proved that she was determined to make a difference one step at a time. Tubman's courage and determination throughout the nineteen trips was what convinced 300+ slaves that she was their savior.

(www.pinterest.com ())

Harriet Tubman earns the title of  "hero" due to her strong determination and endless bravery. She pursued freedom by herself, and later helped others escape slavery in a total of nineteen trips. More than 300 slaves had been freed in the process and not one of them were lost during the trips. Her strong will and determination fueled her throughout her journeys and she never backed down from what she believed in. "Once the Civil War began, Tubman began looking for a way to help the Union cause. She ended up volunteering as a cook, nurse, and laundress for Union troops who had taken over Beaufort, South Carolina. Tubman also served as a spy, conducting several successful raids and scouting missions. In June 1863, she led a group of Union gunboats manned by black soldiers on a raid up the Combahee River in South Carolina. They removed mines from the river, destroyed Confederate supplies, and led 750 slaves to freedom. Nearly all of the male slaves who were freed in this mission later joined the Union Army" ("Harriet Tubman"American). Harriet Tubman is an inspiration to me and many others by standing up to her beliefs and fighting for justice. She had a positive effect on all the slaves she rescued, and will continue to support and influence people today with her bold actions. It is hard to believe that Harriet Tubman, a disabled woman who supposedly had no voice or control of anything during her time period, was able bring freedom to over 300 men, women, and children single-handedly. She was also the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the Civil War that liberated 750+ slaves. With all of her efforts and actions combined, it is hard not to  say that she is a hero who will inspire people with no voice in society to do something great.

Works Cited

"Harriet Tubman." American Civil War Reference Library. Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom. Ed. Lawrence W. Baker. Vol. 2: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2000. 473-479. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 7 May 2015.

"Harriet Tubman." Contemporary Black Biography. Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale, 1995. Biography in Context. Web. 1 May 2015.

"Tubman, Harriet." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 8. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 464-465. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 May 2015.