Harriet Tubman

(www.iun.edu/.../ images/Harriet_Tubman.jpg)

When I think of a hero, I think of someone who may have saved a life. Someone who is brave, and stands up for what they believe in, even if it can mean death. My hero, Harriet Tubman, was all of these. She was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, a group of people who made an extraordinary effort to free slaves on secret trails leading north.

Harriet Tubman was born around 1820, in Bucktown, Maryland with the name Araminta Ross. Her master was Edward Brodas. When she was only seven, she was sold to a different mistress, Miss Susan. While there, she was treated poorly and was whipped for not doing the housework right. But worse things were coming in her life as a slave. At the age of thirteen, she was hit by a block of lead while trying to help a slave escape. This gave her sleeping spells.

In 1844, she married a free black man named John Tubman. When she told him about her plans to escape slavery and flee north, he didn’t like them, so she decided to go alone. At the age of thirty, she finally made her escape. She told her family she would be back for them and others. Some white neighbors gave her a note on how to find the first house on the path. She settled in Philadelphia where she met one of the “stationmasters” of the Underground Railroad, William Still. Here she learned about the UGRR and what it did and she wanted to get involved.

(www.soulofamerica.com/ images/photosma/Harriet)

In 1851, she began freeing her family members. She led them out of the country into present day Ontario, Canada. She became a conductor on the UGRR while making the nineteen trips back to rescue slaves. She is believed to have rescued about 300 slaves and led them north. She died in 1913, but was still highly respected among others.

Harriet Tubman did so much for other slaves. In fact, she was called the “Moses” of her people. What she was doing could have gotten her killed if she was caught, but she kept coming back for other slaves. This takes a lot of courage. You can probably see why I picked Harriet Tubman as my hero.