Harriet Tubman

Presentation
By: Anas K and Ahmed K
What was Harriet Tubman Goal?
During her lifetime, Harriet Tubman had dreamed that one day all
men of all colors would come together and be as one. It was much the
same dream that Martin Luther King held for his people fifty years
later in the 'March on Washington'.
What was the problem / Global issue?
Slavery can broadly be described as the ownership, buying and
selling of human beings for the purpose of forced and unpaid labour.
Slavery is extremely unethical, and was a global issue at the time. This
is because slaves were often put in very horrible conditions, they had
no constitutional rights, they were not paid, and were not treated
equally. At the time, 18% of the population in the United States and
other countries were slaves, that made slavery one of the biggest
global issues at the time.
Family and Birth

Harriet Tubman was born with enslaved parents, Harriet (“Rit”) Green
and Ben Ross. Her real name is Araminta Ross, later on she changes
it to Harriet Tubman. She was born on March, 1822. Her mother was
enslaved by Mary Pattison Brodess. Her father was enslaved by
Anthony Thompson. When Harriet Tubman was in her childhood, she
was thought to be like an Ashanti person because she had similar
character attributes. Although no evidence has been established to
authorize this information. Her mother worked as a cook for a white
family, as her father worked as an experienced woodsman who
managed the timber work on a plantation. They married in 1808 and
had nine children together, one of them including Harriet Tubman.
Dorchester County, Maryland.
Childhood
In large households, Tubman's responsibilities as a child included
caring for an infant and a younger brother. She was employed as a
nursemaid to a woman named "Miss Susan" when she was between
the ages of five and six. Tubman was given the command to take care
of it and rock the cradle. As the infant woke up and wailed, she was
whipped. Later, she recalled a specific day when she had received five
beatings before breakfast. For the rest of her life, she lived with the
scars. She managed to resist by fleeing for five days, dressing in
layers to protect herself from beatings, and retaliating. She was given
tasks in the fields and forests as she got older and stronger.
Teenager Injury
When Tubman was a teenager, an overseer threw a two-pound (1 kg)
metal weight at another enslaved person who was attempting to
escape, unfortunately this weight struck Tubman instead. Tubman
claimed that the weight "shattered my skull" when it struck her.
According to Larson, the accident may have caused her to temporal
lobe epilepsy. Although it is unknown if she had this, she lived the rest
of of her life with this ailment. Following her accident, Tubman started
seeing visions and lucid dreams.
Harriet Tubman Marriage
Harriet Tubman wed John Tubman, a free black man, sometime about
1844. Tubman changed her name from Araminta to Harriet shortly
after her marriage, however the precise time is uncertain and little is
known about him or their time together. According to Clinton and
Larson, it followed the wedding and occurred at the same time as
Tubman's efforts to escape from slavery. She took on her mother's
name, either as a result of a conversion to another religion or to
memorialize a family member. This now made her name Harriet
Tubman, her original name being Araminta Ross.
What is the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad was an informal system, composed of free
and enslaved black people, white abolitionists, and other activists.
Escaped slaves would disguise at white abolitionists house, usually
during morning time. At night they would lurk to the next house.
Escaping From Slavery
Tubman and her brothers, Ben and Henry, escaped from slavery on
September 17, 1849. This failed because soon after her brothers
decided to return and obligated her to do that as well. Later Tubman
decided to intellectually escape again, this time she didn’t go with her
brothers, she escaped solo. Her exact route is unknown, though she
used a system called the Underground Railroad. Tubman was
stealthily dodging slave catchers desiring reward. At white
abolitionists houses during the day, Tubman would pretend to be
doing slave-work, making it look like she was owned by them. At night
the thoughtful people would hide her in a cart and take her to the
next warm-hearted house. After repeating this for a while, she finally
made it to Philadelphia where she was free from slavery.
1850 Risk of Escaping Slavery / Escaped Slaves
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which was enacted by the U.S.
Congress in the meantime, severely penalised those who helped
slaves escape and compelled law enforcement officials to help in
their capture even in states where slavery had been abolished. Due to
the law's increasing hazards for people who had fled slavery, many of
them sought shelter in Southern Ontario, which at the time was a
part of the United Province of Canada and had abolished slavery as
a result of being a member of the British Empire.
Harriet Tubman First Trip Back To Maryland
Harriet Tubman travelled back to Maryland early the next year to
assist in the departure of further family members.

She found her brother Moses as well as two unidentified males during
her journey.

Thomas Garrett, a Wilmington, Delaware-based Quaker who

advocated for abolition, was probably a collaborator of Tubman's.
With each visit to Maryland, she grew more self-assured, according to
biographers, and news of her exploits had inspired her family.
Returning to Dorchester County
Tubman made her first trip back to Dorchester County after her
escape in late 1851, this time to look for her husband John. In the
meantime John married Caroline, a different woman, He argued that
he was content where he was despite Tubman sending word for him to
join her. Initially planning to attack their home and cause a
commotion, Tubman later realised it would not be worth the trouble.
She located three slaves who desired to escape and escorted them to
Philadelphia while controlling her rage.
Eastern Shore Maryland
Over 11 years, Tubman returned repeatedly to the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, rescuing some 70 escapees in about 13 expeditions,
including her other brothers, Henry, Ben, and Robert, their wives and
some of their children. She also provided specific instructions to 50
to 60 additional enslaved people who escaped to the north.
Last Trip To Maryland
Her last trip into Maryland was to pick up her elderly parents. Even
when they were both free, the area was hostile against them.
Harriet Tubman Civil War Support
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Tubman saw a Union victory as a
key step toward the abolition of slavery. Tubman met with General
David Hunter, a strong supporter of abolition. Tubman served as a
nurse in Port Royal she was aiding soldiers suffering from dysentery.
She rendered assistance to men with smallpox. During the Civil War,
she became the first woman to lead an armed military raid in June
1863. She was also a Union scout, spy, and nurse.
Later Life / Death
Despite her years of service, Tubman never received a regular salary
and was for years denied compensation. Tubman spent her
remaining years in Auburn, tending to her family and other people in
need. She worked various jobs to support her elderly parents, and
took in boarders to help pay the bills. In 1913 Tubman unfortunately
died of pneumonia.
Famous Quote
“There are two things I've got a right to, and these are, Death or
Liberty – one or the other I mean to have. No one will take me back
alive; I shall fight for my liberty, and when the time has come for me to
go, the Lord will let them, kill me”.
Thank you for listening
Thank you so much for listening to our presentation.

Extra video quiz: https://youtu.be/XOrGoam5ZM

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