Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
📖

Harriet Tubman

society Maturity 11-13 religion death dying war conflict social justice
This article covers sensitive topics: religion, death_dying, war_conflict, social_justice. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Harriet Tubman was a brave woman.

Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
She helped many people be free. She led them to a safe place. She was very kind and strong. She is a hero to us. Do you know her story?

40 words

Harriet Tubman was a brave woman.

(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg

Long ago, Harriet was not free. She lived in a place called Maryland. She worked very hard every day.

Harriet escaped to find her freedom.

Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg

She went back many times. She helped her family and friends escape too. She used secret paths to keep them safe.

Later, she helped in a big war. She worked as a nurse and a scout. She also helped many people find freedom.

Harriet was a hero for all time.

92 words

Harriet Tubman was a brave leader.

(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg

She was born in Maryland as a child. At that time, she was enslaved. As a young girl, she suffered a bad head injury. A heavy weight hit her. This caused her pain and many dizzy spells for her whole life.

Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg

In 1849, Harriet escaped to Philadelphia to find freedom. But she did not stay there. She went back to Maryland many times. She used a secret path called the Underground Railroad. This was a group of safe houses. She led about 70 people to freedom. She never lost a single person on her trips.

Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg

During the Civil War, Harriet helped the Union Army. She worked as a nurse and a cook. She was also a spy and a scout. She helped lead a raid at Combahee Ferry. This raid freed more than 700 people.

South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg

Later, she fought for women's right to vote. She worked hard for many years. Harriet Tubman is remembered for her great courage.

182 words

Harriet Tubman was a famous leader who fought for freedom.

(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
She was born in Maryland around 1822. At that time, she was born into slavery. Her parents were Ben Ross and Harriet Green. Life was very hard for her as a child. She was often treated unfairly by those who owned her. One day, a heavy metal weight hit her in the head.
Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
This injury caused her pain and dizzy spells for her whole life. She also had visions and dreams that she believed came from God.

Tubman decided she had to find her own freedom. In 1849, she escaped from Maryland to Philadelphia. She did not stop her work after she became free. She went back into dangerous areas many times to help others. She used a secret network called the Underground Railroad. This was a group of safe houses and people who helped escapees.

Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
She made about 13 missions to rescue people. She led about 70 enslaved people to freedom, including her own family. She was even called "Moses" because she led people to safety. She famously said she never lost a single passenger on her trips.

After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the work became harder. Tubman had to guide people even further north. She helped them reach British North America, which we now call Canada. She also helped newly freed people find jobs so they could live well. In 1858, she met a man named John Brown. She helped him plan a famous raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.

John Brown portrait, 1859-face crop.jpg
John Brown portrait, 1859-face crop.jpg
She was always looking for ways to fight for what was right.

When the American Civil War began, Tubman joined the Union Army. She did many different jobs to help the soldiers. First, she worked as a cook and a nurse. Later, she became an armed scout and a spy.

Harriet Tubman Civil War Woodcut.jpg
Harriet Tubman Civil War Woodcut.jpg
She helped lead a raid at Combahee Ferry. This raid was very important because it freed more than 700 enslaved people. Many people believe she was the first woman to lead an armed military operation in the United States.
South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
She showed great courage during the war.

After the war ended, Tubman moved to Auburn, New York. She bought property there in 1859. She spent her later years caring for her aging parents. Tubman also became a leader in the movement for women's suffrage. This was the fight to give women the right to vote.

Harriet Tubman late in life3.jpg
Harriet Tubman late in life3.jpg
Even when she became ill, she stayed active in her work. She helped start a home for elderly African Americans. Today, people all over the world remember her as a hero of freedom.

465 words

Harriet Tubman was a prominent American abolitionist and social activist.

(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
An abolitionist is someone who works to end slavery. Tubman is celebrated as an icon of courage and freedom. She played a vital role in several major historical movements. Her life spanned from the era of slavery through the American Civil War. She also became a leader in the movement for women's suffrage. This movement fought for the right of women to vote in elections.

Tubman was born Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. Historians believe she was born around March 1822. Her parents were Ben Ross and Harriet Green. Her father was a skilled woodsman on a large plantation. Her mother worked as a cook for the Brodess family. Slavery created a difficult environment for her family. Her mother struggled to keep the family together. Several of Tubman's sisters were sold away from the family. These early experiences influenced Tubman's belief in the necessity of resistance.

As an adolescent, Tubman suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. An overseer threw a heavy metal weight to hit another person. The weight struck Tubman in the head instead. This injury caused her to lose consciousness for weeks. She suffered from painful headaches and seizures for the rest of her life. Some historians suggest she may have had temporal lobe epilepsy. She also experienced periods of hypersomnia, which is extreme sleepiness. Tubman interpreted her vivid dreams and visions as divine revelations from God. These spiritual experiences shaped her deeply religious Methodist faith.

In 1849, Tubman escaped from slavery to Philadelphia. She did not stay in safety, however. She returned to Maryland approximately 13 times to rescue others. She used a secret network called the Underground Railroad. This system consisted of safe houses and activists who helped enslaved people escape. Tubman guided approximately 70 people to freedom, including her own family. She traveled at night and used extreme secrecy to avoid capture.

Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
Because of her leadership, people called her "Moses." She famously stated that she never lost a passenger during her missions.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 changed the risks for escapees. This law made it harder for formerly enslaved people to stay safe in Northern states. Consequently, Tubman guided people even further north into British North America, now known as Canada. She also assisted newly freed people in finding employment. In 1858, she met the abolitionist John Brown.

John Brown portrait, 1859-face crop.jpg
John Brown portrait, 1859-face crop.jpg
She helped him plan and recruit supporters for his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.

When the American Civil War began, Tubman served the Union Army. She initially worked in roles as a cook and a nurse. Later, she served as an armed scout and a spy.

Harriet Tubman Civil War Woodcut.jpg
Harriet Tubman Civil War Woodcut.jpg
One of her most significant achievements was the raid at Combahee Ferry. During this operation, she helped liberate more than 700 enslaved people.
South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
Many credit her as the first woman to lead an armed military operation in the United States.

After the war, Tubman retired to Auburn, New York. She had purchased property there in 1859. She used her home to care for her aging parents. Tubman remained a dedicated activist for women's suffrage. She also helped establish a home for elderly African Americans.

Harriet Tubman late in life3.jpg
Harriet Tubman late in life3.jpg
She passed away on March 10, 1913. Her legacy continues through her work for human rights and equality. Her life connects the struggles of the abolitionist movement to the fight for voting rights.

589 words
🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:Harriet Tubman Locations Map.jpg
Harriet Tubman Locations Map.jpg
File:Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849.jpg
File:Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
Harriet Tubman c1868-69 (cropped).jpg
File:Frederick Douglass by Samuel J Miller, 1847-52.png
Frederick Douglass by Samuel J Miller, 1847-52.png
File:John Brown portrait, 1859-face crop.jpg
John Brown portrait, 1859-face crop.jpg
File:Harriet Tubman Civil War Woodcut.jpg
Harriet Tubman Civil War Woodcut.jpg
File:South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
South-carolina-volunteers raid on Combahee.jpg
File:(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC) (38899564300).jpg
(Portrait of Harriet Tubman) (LOC)...
File:Harriet Tubman, with rescued slaves, New York Times.JPG
Harriet Tubman, with rescued slaves, New...
File:Harriet Tubman late in life3.jpg
Harriet Tubman late in life3.jpg
File:The launching party for the SS Harriet Tubman, 06-03-1944 - NARA - 535828.jpg
The launching party for the SS Harriet...
File:16-bep-tubmanbill.jpg
16-bep-tubmanbill.jpg
Up Next
📖
Sojourner Truth
Society
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.