Harriet Tubman

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Harriet Tubman is an ex-slave who helped others slaves escape using the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman is a hero because she is courageous, a good role-model, and she accomplished a big task.

Harriet Tubman was born in 1820 in Dorchester to Green and Ben Ross. She died in 1913. She was born as a slave. As a young child, she was beaten by her masters by a metal pole. Because of this she suffered seizures, narcoleptic attacks, and headaches. Sometimes her vision would be blurry. She suffered these conditions all throughout her life (McGill). In 1849, she escaped to Philadelphia and went back to Maryland to rescue her family. Soon, people would call her "Moses" because she never lost anyone during the escape (Franklin). When the American Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army. She started off as a cook and a nurse then later she became an armed scout/spy.

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Harriet Tubman is a hero to me because she was courageous. In 1851, she freed her brother and his family from slavery; later that year she went back and freed eleven others including her other brother and his family (McGill). She is courageous because she's risked her own life to go back and give freedom to other slaves. This job could have gotten her killed easily, but that did not stop Tubman from freeing slaves. At one point the authorities were so desperate to catch Tubman that there was a reward for her capture. The reward was $40,000(Harriet Tubman). Even when Harriet was wanted, she kept her head high and freed as many slaves as she could. Her courage is the reason why she and the other slaves she freed were free again.

Not only was Harriet Tubman one of the most courageous people, but she was also a role-model to some people. Harriet gradually became well known among the abolitionists. They all knew what she had accomplished and soon praised her.  Not only did the abolitionists look up to her, but other Anti-Slave societies looked up to her also. "Not only did she free slaves, but she was also a spy for us" (McGill). Later Harriet was a big role-model for them. After the war was over, Harriet went out of her way to help others. She set up a home in Auburn for elderly African- Americans. Not only did she free slaves, but she also opened up a home just for the elderly African- Americans. Harriet Tubman was a role-model to many of people that knew of her.

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The third and possibly the most important reason why Harriet Tubman is a hero is because she accomplished a very big task. When Harriet Tubman returned home, she didn't simply just sit around, she opened up a home for all the African- Americans that were homeless or needed somewhere to sleep. It started out with Harriet taking care of her aged parents, but then she saw that not only did her parents need help, but there were other aged African- Americans and orphans that needed help also. This is one of the big tasks she accomplished while she was alive. If it wasn't for her, many aged people and orphans would have been homeless and would not have gotten the help they needed. But one of the biggest tasks she accomplished during her time was the Underground Railroad. Harriet was urged to plan an escape as soon as she could. Two days after her plan, she found out that she had been sold to a Georgian owner. This is when she decided to execute her plan for an escape (Harriet Tubman). She managed to escape from slavery and gain freedom once again. After her own escape, Harriet decided to go back and free other slaves. This is one of her biggest tasks that she accomplished because she was the first African-American to escape from slavery all on her own. Not only that, but she went back to free other slaves and that's how the Underground Railroad was formed. Without her help, many of the free slaves would have never been free; this was a big accomplishment!

In conclusion, Harriet Tubman is a hero and always will be a hero because of her courage, how she's a role-model to people, and because she accomplished a task no other man or woman could have done. Harriet Tubman gave freedom and independence to all the slaves that lost hope in themselves. This is why Harriet Tubman is my hero.

Works Consulted

Franklin, John Hope. "TUBMAN, Harriet." Notable American Women, A Biographical Dictionary: 1607-1950 (Vol.1-3) (1971): 481. Biography Reference Center. Web. 10 May 2012.

"Harriet Tubman." Notable Black American Women. Gale, 1992. Gale Biography In Context.

    Web. 8 May 2012.

McGill, Sara Ann. "Harriet Tubman." Harriet Tubman (2005): 1. Biography Reference Center.

            Web. 11 May 2012.

"Tubman, Harriet Ross (c. 1820-1913)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998.

 Gale Biography In Context. Web. 8 May 2012.