Harriet Tubman

Portrait of Harriet Tubman (civilwar-online.com (Unknown))

     Known as the "Moses of her people", Harriet Tubman was a hero to slaves across America.  Harriet was born in Maryland's Dorchester County in the 1820s and died on March 10, 1913.  She led hundreds of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad.  Not only is someone rescuing slaves a remarkable feat, Harriet did it as an African American woman in the 1800s when racism was at its peak.  Without Harriet Tubman, many slaves would have been forced to work the rest of their lives with no one to rescue them.

  Born in 1820, Harriet Tubman fantasized about gaining freedom from a young age.  Finally, in 1849, she had built up enough courage to make her getaway.  Following the North Star, Harriet and her two brothers made their journey to Philadelphia.  Once there, she worked hard to earn enough money to help rescue other slaves.  By 1860 Harriet had made 19 trips to the south over a 10 year span and led slaves along the Underground Railroad back to freedom.  During all of those journeys she rescued 300 slaves and never lost a single passenger.  Harriet is one of the most well known "conductors" of the Underground Railroad for her amazing accomplishments.

Harriet Tubman Wanted Poster (glogster.com (Unknown))

  "You'll be free or die" was a quote that Harriet said to many passengers who wanted to give up on their journey along the Underground Railroad.  While she said this, she would point a gun as to intimidate the unwilling slave to keep going and not turn back.  Harriet was so determined to not get caught and accompany the runaway slaves to the North that she wouldn't let anyone give up after she and the others had risked so much for their dream of being free.  Among the hundreds of slaves that Harriet rescued were her 70 year old parents who were just as driven as she was to reach freedom.  She also escorted her sister, and her sister's children. Harriet rescued so many slaves that she was the target for most slave owners. There was a $40,000 reward for anyone who could capture her, which is equivalent to about 1 million U.S. dollars today.  Even with this huge sum of money being rewarded for her capture, she kept going and was just as determined as ever.

  Determined, brave, strong, confident, and courageous are all qualities that Harriet Tubman does possess and that fit my definition of a hero.  She risked her life 19 times to help others and make their lives better.  When Harriet was a teenager, an overseer threw a two pound weight at a field hand but missed and hit her in the head.  She never fully recovered from this incident, and as a result falls into a deep sleep at unplanned times.  This is a major drawback but does not stop Harriet Tubman from achieving her dream of helping others escape slavery.  Harriet doesn't let anyone or anything stand in her way of doing whats right, which is a very heroic quality.  Even though at all times she is in slave country or is escorting slaves to the north she is in life threatening danger, she does not let timidity hold her back.  I admire Harriet Tubman for her valiant qualities and selfless actions.  If more people were as daring as Harriet Tubman they would be able to achieve their goals and be successful.  Harriet Tubman inspires me to help others who don't have the courage and to not live life out of fear.

Map of Underground Railroad (edu.glogster.com (Unknown))

  Harriet's perseverance is what makes her a remarkable woman who is a hero to people across America.  She rescued 300 people from a miserable life in slavery.  Even though her life was in danger everyday, she was determined to make other people's lives better.  She showed America that women can make a difference in the lives of others and that the color of your skin doesn't matter.  Harriet Tubman, a "conductor" of the Underground Railroad, was one of the most significant women in history.  She worked persistently to secure a brighter future for her community rather than just herself, which is the reason she inspires millions.