Araminta Ross: A Brief Biography Of Harriet Tubman

Araminta Ross, also known as Harriet Tubman, was born in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her date of birth is unknown, but people believe she was born between 1819 and 1823. Tubman changed her name to Harriet, after her mother, in 1844 when she married a free black man, John Tubman. Harriet Tubman was the fifth of nine children from Harriet Greene and Ben Ross. She had eight siblings, four of which were brothers, and four of which were sisters. Her brothers were Mosses Ross, born in 1832, Ben Ross, born in 1823, Henry Ross born in 1830, and Robert Ross, born in 1816. Her sisters were Linah Ross, born in 1808, Rachel Ross, born in 1825, Mariah Ritty Ross, born in 1811, and Soph Ross, born in 1813. Her father, Ben Ross, was a timber inspector who watch and managed his slave owner, Thompson, at the timbering interests on the Eastern Shore. Thompson has owned slaves - more than forty African Americans - during his lifetime. Although he was a slave owner he contributed to Harriet Tubman and her family. Ben Ross, the father, and Harriet Greene, the mother met at Thompson’s house, they married and started their own family during 1808. In the 17th century, when enslaved

black men and women had children, the children would be slaves under the mother’s owner. During the 1820s, at the age five or six, Tubman was sold into slavery. She worked as a house slave until the age of twelve where she was sent to work in the fields. As an early teen, Tubman had an accident that affected the rest of her life. “She was hit in the head by a two-pound weight, almost ending her life. The accident happened when a slave owner was protecting another slave. As a result of being hit in the head, Tubman would fall into a deep sleep every once and awhile (Harriet Tubman Bibliography).”
In 1849, Tubman was afraid to be shipped back into slavery, so she set out one night to run away on foot. With the help of a friendly white woman, Tubman followed the North Star all the way to Pennsylvania. “Tubman was determined to help as many slaves to become free, so Harriet took 19 trips to the South and escorted over 300 slaves to the North for freedom by 1860. Throughout her trip Harriet Tubman would say, “On my Underground Railroad I never run my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” (Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad). She only traveled through woods and fields, as it was the safest way to make it to the North. She returned one year for her sister and her sister’s two kids. She returned another year for her brother and two other male slaves. Finally Tubman went back to get her husband. When she arrived, Harriet discovered that her husband had found another wife. Frustrated at her discovery, Tubman escorted more slaves to the North (Harriet Tubman c. 1820 - 1913). Tubman managed to rescue her 70 year old parents. Due to her determination, she was the leader of the Underground Railroad, and the main cause of how slaves became free. The Underground Railroad was neither underground, nor a railroad. Most people consider her as the “conductor” of the Underground Railroad. Others called her the “Moses of her people”. Her escape and leadership for hundreds of slaves caused her to have a forty thousand dollar capture reward to whomever could capture her dead or alive.
The goal for the slaves were to become free in states such as New York, Philadelphia, and Massachusetts. During the travel through the Underground Railroad, the slaves had to travel in secret, by staying in the dark and keeping in disguise. There were plenty of stopping places, most people called these places “The station”. Every slave wanted to make it to the North, most slaves called the North “The Promised Land” (Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad). They wanted to be free black men and women with everyday jobs such as a store owner, a craftsman, owning a butcher shop, and many other jobs free men and women are able to accomplish. The journey was no adventure as Harriet was very mean and serious at all times because it was her life on the line. She always carried a revolver with her, and when any slave wanted to turn around, she would hold the gun to them and would threaten the slaves to keep moving or to lose their lives. Many white and black free folks, also known as “station masters,” would allow Harriet Tubman and the slaves to stay at their house for the night. Food was provided from them, as well as a place for them to get some rest for the night. Although the cost helping Harriet and the slaves was losing their lives, the station masters believed in Tubman’s cause, so they continued to help the slaves to freedom. The slaves and Harriet would travel 10 to 15 miles a day just to get to the next station. While they rested, a sign would be sent ahead to the next station master to allow them to know Harriet and the slaves were coming and to be prepared (The Underground Railroad c. 1780 - 1862).
One of the main helpers was Thomas Garrett. “He was born on August 21, 1789 and was considered the most prominent figures in the history of the Underground Railroad.” (Thomas Garrett Biographies) Thomas was against slavery from a young age, his family’s black servant was kidnapped and nearly forced into slavery, because of this Thomas Garrett, when he was a child he decided to help escaped slaves to allow them to become free men and women in the North. He moved to Wilmington, Delaware from outside of Philadelphia as a strategic choice to create a home for the slaves to stop at while they made their trip to freedom. He provided a place for the slaves to stay while trying to escape, throughout his lifetime, a forty year career as a station master, he provided a home for 2,700 slaves to escape to freedom. He acted as the “key station master” on the eastern line of the Underground Railroad and he eventually became connected with the Philadelphia station master, William Still. The communication between the two men helped Harriet Tubman and her slaves to travel from one spot to another. Thomas Garrett took care of this slaves while maintaining a business as a hardware business owner.
Slaves were easy to notice, so the slaves needed donations to help them escape. Black men, women, and children would be noticeable in torn up, tattered clothes. Many white folks wanting to help the slaves would provide money and other donations to help these slaves come to freedom (The Underground Railroad c. 1780 - 1862). Although they traveled with Harriet by foot, some of the other slaves would travel by train or boat.
After Harriet Tubman spent 19 years freeing over 300 slaves, she found herself in South Carolina to help during the Civil War. She became a nurse, scout, cook, and spy in the Union army. Tubman was a fighter; not only helping to free slaves, but can be evident in 1862 when Harriet was the first American woman to lead an armed raid into enemy territory (Harriet Tubman Bibliography). After many years of being a spy, Tubman then became the first American woman to command the military in 1863. The military destroyed stockpiles of cotton, food, weapons, and freeing seven hundred slaves. Tubman got the honor of sitting in the all black Massachusetts Fifty Fourth Regiment during July 19, 1863. Tubman had many nursing skills, so when the soldiers became injured, they were sent to Beaufort, where Harriet Tubman would nurse them, feed them, and comfort them (Harriet Tubman Bibliography). She received a nurse’s pin during the 1890’s.
When the Civil War ended, Harriet Tubman moved back to Auburn, New York. She worked as an activist, humanitarian, and suffragist. She also provided a home for all of her friends and relatives that needed assistance. Harriet raised money for a donation that provided education to millions of slaves - known as the Freedmen’s Bureau.
Harriet Tubman died at the age of 90 or 91 on March 10, 1913 in Auburn, New York.

“In 1944, the National Council of Negro Women donated a Liberty ship in honor of Harriet Tubman. The ship was named S.S. Harriet Tubman, the first Liberty ship for black women, and was sent out to South Portland, Maine. She also received the National Historic Landmark status in Auburn, New York on 1974 (Harriet Tubman Bibliography).” Tubman believed that people should be free, and have the same benefits as all free people. Harriet Tubman would not rest and risked her life helping slaves to become free. In addition to helping to free slaves, Tubman also made had a huge impact during the Civil War times. Her life was very long and productive, and without Harriet Tubman’s determination, over 300 slaves would not have became

free.