Overview

Early Life Adult Life leading to Freedom Contributions to Society Leadership Qualities and Legacy Howard University Building Concluding Summary Questions

Early Life

Records of her birth do not exist:Claimed she was born in 1820, 1822, and 1825

Born Araminta "Minty” Ross to slave parents Harriet Green and Ben Ross

Birth location Dorchester County, Maryland

Brother’s sale key moment in the development of her beliefs

Early Life

Treated as a slave and suffered heavily at the hands of different white owners:Beatings starting at age 5MeaslesHead injury

Became more and more religiously devout after each injury/ illness

Adult Life

Technically thought to be an adult at age 11 1844 (?): Married to a free black man

named John TubmanUnion complicated because of her slave status

Changed her name from Araminta to Harriet soon after her marriage

Started to dream of freedom. Going North was her goal

Husband not supportive, but freedom won

Freedom

1849: Disease stricken again, Tubman loses value as a slave

Attempts to be sold fail Master dies after Tubman prays for his

death 17 September 1849: Tubman escapes with

two brothers Widow did not notice for some time, thinking

Tubman was working for neighbors

Freedom

Two weeks later, Brodess figures out Tubman fled:Reward posted for Tubman and

two brothers

Brothers rethink decision to escapeReturn with Tubman to Maryland

Soon after, Tubman escapes again, this time alone

Freedom

Escaped using the Underground Railroad network

Little is known of her first crossing, but Tubman admitted feeling in Heaven after crossing Mason Dixon Line

Fearing for her family, she returned to Maryland to help free family members

Contributions to SocietyBreakdown Moses Conductor General Tubman Final Crossing Civil War

Contributions to Society Moses September 1850: Tubman made official

conductor of the UGRR Harriet Tubman becomes “Moses” 1850 Fugitive Slave Act passed:

Law enforcement officials had to aid in the capture of fugitive slaves

Tubman tightens security and sends freed slaves into Canada instead of North USA

Worked closely with Frederick Douglas and Thomas Garret

Contributions to Society General Tubman Introduced to John Brown Brown so impressed with Tubman,

nicknames her General Tubman Although not fond of violence, Tubman

helps Brown plan and recruit for the failed raid on Harpers Ferry

Tubman had not received the message of when the strike was going to take place, possibly saving her life

Contributions to Society Final Crossing In November 1860, intended to return to

save sister and her children:Sister died and children had to be bought

Tubman didn’t have the money to buy the children’s freedom

Instead of leaving empty handed, rescued the Ennals family

Arrived in NY state on December 28, 1860

Contributions to Society Civil War Aided black refugees at the start of the

war and worked as a nurse June 2, 1863, Tubman became first

woman to lead an armed assault during Civil War

Tubman aided in the rescue of nearly 700 slaves in the Combahee River Raid

Helped scout and gather intelligence for Union forces

Leadership Qualities

Dedication Resilience Courage Intelligence

Street SmartsIntelligence gathering

Legacy Personally rescued over 70 slaves from the

South with the railway Set a standard for the future of the

abolitionist movement Buried with military honors at Fort Hill

Cemetery Booker T. Washington delivered the keynote

address First biography of Tubman didn’t come out

until 1942 The next biography would not come out until 2003

Legacy for Me - Inspiration

TrustBelief

Howard University

Harriet Tubman has a quadrangle named in her honor

Tubman Quad surrounded by five residential halls

More commonly known simply as “The Quad”

Concluding Summary

Early Life Adult Life leading to Freedom Contributions to Society Leadership Qualities and Legacy Howard University Building

For those interested…

Sources:Clinton, Catherine (2004). Harriet

Tubman: The Road to Freedom. New York: Little, Brown and Company

Sterling, Dorothy (1970). Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman. New York: Scholastic, Inc

Thank You for Your Attention

Questions?