Literature Report By Mali New

Mrs. Jacobson Grade 7

Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was born in 1820, in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her birth name was Araminta Ross, but later on in her life she changed it to her mothers name, Harriet. She was an African American woman who saved many slaves before the abolition of slavery. Harriet was born into slavery and therefore had a very hard childhood. At the mere age of five she was whipped for things like stealing a lump of sugar. She also worked in the home of a planter who ordered her into nearby marshes to check the muskrat traps. Even after catching the measles, she was sent into waist- high freezing water. Harriet spoke of her homesickness during this period of time. Once, one slave owner threw a two pound weight at her. This caused her a head injury from which she suffered throughout her life. In 1844, Harriet married a free black man, John Tubman. Right after their marriage, she changed her name from Araminta to Harriet. When he died, she remarried Nelson Davis and adopted a child named Gertie. Tubman, along with her two brothers escaped from slavery on September 17, 1840. Because of various reasons, her brothers decided to go back, forcing Harriet with them. Soon afterwards, she escaped again without her brothers. Though her exact route is unknown, she made use of the Underground Railroad. This system was made up of free blacks, white abolitionists and Christian activists. In 1859, an abolitionist sold Harriet a piece of land in Auburn, New York. There, she delivered her family and friends from slavery. For years she took in boarders and relatives, offering a safe place for black Americans in the North.

Harriets greatest accomplishment in life was saving over seventy slaves in thirteen missions. This was extremely challenging because there were slave catchers and wanted signs all over. When Harriet was forty-one, the Civil War broke out. For two years she worked for the Union forces, aiding newly liberated slaves and nursing wounded soldiers in Virginia. In Tubmans later years she worked to promote womens suffrage. She worked alongside Susan B. Anthony and Emily Howland. She made a speech in New York, speaking in favor of womens suffrage. She used her actions during the Civil War to show everyone what a woman is capable of doing. Courage is very strongly portrayed though Harriets life. She showed lots of courage at times that nobody under her circumstances would feel brave. Although she was horrified when her family was broken apart, she worked hard to save money to buy them back. When she was warned that her niece and child were going to be sold, she organized a rescue mission and saved them. If theres a will theres a way, would be the motto that I would apply to Harriets life. Even when things seem hopeless, you should put in all your talents and strength and do what you can to make the situation better. Her life story left a lasting lesson to me by showing that even though she was different; she was able to fight for her freedom. I too, am different, I am Jewish, and I should be able to live a lifestyle that way without any disturbances. In the past there have been times when Jews were oppressed because they were different, such as the Holocaust. We should be able to fight for our freedom of religion/ race. Harriet Tubman died March 10, 1913 at the old age of 93 in Auburn, New York. She was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery. Many schools and museums were named after her. In 2008, Towson University named its new campus, Tubman House, in her memory.

The Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman helped save slaves through the Underground Railroad. This was a network of secret routes and safe houses that brought slaves to free states, Canada or Mexico. It was called Underground because it was secret, and it was called Railroad because of the code words they used such as: *People who helped slaves find the railroad were agents *Guides were know as conductors *Hiding places were stations *Stationmasters hid slaves in their homes *Escaped slaves were referred to as passengers or cargo *Slaves would obtain a ticket