Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist, humanitarian, and an armed scout and spy for the United States Army during the American Civil War. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later helped abolitionist John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry. During the Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army. In her later years, Tubman was an activist in the movement for women's suffrage.
Tubman was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1822. She was the fifth of nine children of Harriet "Rit" Green and Ben Ross, both of whom were born into slavery. Rit was owned by Mary Pattison Brodess (later Mary Pattison Brodess-Tubman after her second marriage). Ben was held by Anthony Thompson, who became Mary's second husband, and married Rit. Tubman's mother died when Tubman was about five years old. Tubman was sent to live with her father's parents, until she was old enough to be rented out for work. At the age of six, Tubman was severely injured when an overseer threw a heavy metal weight intending to hit another slave, but it struck Tubman instead. The injury caused dizziness, pain, and spells of hypersomnia, which occurred throughout her life.
Tubman eventually escaped from slavery in 1849. She made her way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she met William Still, the "Father of the Underground Railroad." Still helped Tubman find work and a place to live. Tubman returned to Maryland to rescue her family and others using the network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including her parents, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later helped abolitionist John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry.
During the Civil War, Tubman worked for the Union Army, first as a cook and nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. She was the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war. In 1863, Tubman guided Union Colonel James Montgomery and his men on a raid of Combahee Ferry, which liberated more than 700 enslaved people.
After the Civil War, Tubman settled in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. She also became active in the movement for women's suffrage and gave speeches on the issue. In her later years, Tubman suffered from health problems and worked to raise funds for a home for elderly African Americans. She died in 1913, at the age of 91.
Tubman's legacy as a humanitarian and an advocate for human rights continues to be celebrated. She is remembered as an American hero and a symbol of courage and perseverance. Her life and work have inspired numerous books, plays, and films, and she is honored with a number of memorials and tributes, including the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Dorchester County, Maryland.
