Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913), an escaped Black American slave, was the most famous and successful conductor of the Underground Railroad, helping over 300 blacks to escape slavery from 1849 to 1860, winning her the nickname of “Moses”.
Timeline:
- 1849: escapes slavery
- 1849-1860: helps over 300 others to escape slavery
- 1850s: speaks out for the immediate abolition of slavery.
- 1858: helps to find men for John Brown’s ill-fated slave uprising.
- 1861-1865: the civil war: a nurse, a spy and then a commander of army intelligence for the North.
- 1863: works with a black regiment in the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina, helping to free 756 slaves.
- After the war: Unlike Frederick Douglass, she could not read or write, but with the help of Sarah Bradford she came out with two books about her life. She also spoke out for women’s rights with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
The Underground Railroad was a chain of safe houses in the South that helped runaway slaves. They belonged to Quakers, free blacks, abolitionists and others who thought slavery was wrong. Those who led them from house to house were called “conductors”.
At first the Underground Railroad led to the free states in the North. But then in 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act became law, making it a crime to help runaway slaves even in the North. The Underground Railroad then had to go all the way to Canada.
When she was little her father taught her how to move quietly through the woods. He told her how to find the North Star, the star that led the way to freedom. He told her to look for moss on trees, which grows on the north side.
A big fear for slaves was being sold. It meant they would never see their family again. It was when she was about to be sold that she made her escape. One night she took some salted pork, some cornbread and her quilt, walked outside and went north.
First she went to the house of a Quaker woman she had met. From there she went through the woods and swamps of Maryland and Delaware to other “stations” on the Railroad, travelling by night, sometimes dressing as a man, going up rivers where bloodhounds could not follow. When she arrived in Pennsylvania, a free state, it seemed like heaven.
She got work at a hotel in Philadelphia and then joined a vigilance committee, which helped runaways. They knew Quakers in the South who were willing to help slaves escape. With their help she saved her sister Mary and her family just hours before they were going to be sold! She led them along the Underground Railroad to the North.
She went back South again and again to help others in her family to escape and then complete strangers – with a $40,000 (32,000 crowns) reward on her head! She never lost a “passenger”. When she came to her old house to help her husband escape, she found him with a new wife! He did not want to go. She found others who did.
See also:
- American abolitionists
- John Brown
- The Underground Railroad
- White Saviour – why Spielberg made a film about Lincoln, not Harriet Tubman.
Last paragraph: “When she came to her old house to help her husband escape, he found him with a new wife!” I don’t think Mrs Tubman was a transexual. 🙂
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LOL! Thanks for the correction.
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What a quote !
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Bahaha that was funny her husband found a new wife and didn’t want to leave. I wonder how long she was gone before he moved on.That is crazy how some didn’t want to leave,that goes to show slavery was more mental than anything.It’s like a dog off leash can run away but is trained not to. well at least he didn’t sell her out and tell on her.
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I agree this speaks volumes about the courage and bravery of escaped African-American women slaves who selfishly risked their own freedom to help free other slaves (both men and women). Who knows how many other women acted in this way to save others?
Contrast this historical reality to the one we have imposed on us by Hollywood with Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained”..
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re: mstoogoodfor4yall
“that goes to show slavery was more mental than anything”
Do you think that our African slave ancestors were kept in bondage mainly because of what they thought?? That sounds to me like a phrase a white person would use when talking about our experiences .
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Amazing. When I think of how these folks coped during those extremely harsh times it’s a real motivation. Despite the brutality in it, black history is beautiful and inspiring. Right there among the worst in people, you also see the best. The worst went to Hell in anonymous infamy while the best, of all skin colors, have been immortalized as heroes and continue to speak to us.
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100 years since her death. Not really that long ago. All my grandparents had been born.
Post on Frederick Douglass due soon.
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@Legion
Of course you’re correct , and I realized that I was “stepping in it” when I wrote my comment . And I think that we do what we do until we are given a strong enough reason to “do” something else … simply mental inertia , human nature?
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One of my SHE-roes. I love her spirit of fierceness, tenacity, and triumph. Her countenance says volumes about where she’s been. Mrs. Tubman looks like she has witnessed all types of horrors. Yes, a movie for the silver screen is a must. And please don’t let TP have anything to do with it.
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now THIS is interesting.
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THIS was a great human being and a great woman. Her husband obviously wasn’t up to match her great spirit. It’s funny how Hollyweird will regurgitate the same stories, but one like this falls by the wayside. The fact that she never lost a SINGLE person is an amazing feat worthy of the big screen. Sadly, Black female heroines are few and far between. Even though history is rife with them.
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A true sheroe! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Congotronicartfxambassy's Blog and commented:
Harriet Tubman’s story makes obama presidency sound like a joke!
Hope versus the African American female Black Moses…
Amazing post!
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My black and brown people, be careful for what you ask for. Do we really want and need for white Hollywood to make another, white washed movie about our black hero’s and she-roes?
Its ridiculous that a movie hasn’t been made for this long, much less at all.
That being said, I’m tired of watching movies, made by white Hollywood, that not only doesn’t tell our stories accurately, its always from a white-self serving point of view that leaves, white people feeling all warm and fuzzy inside by the end of the movie.
This seems to be the goal of every movie about the black experience in white Hollywood, to make a “Negro feel good movie”, where the, MAJORITY of white people are not racist and sympathize with black people being oppressed.
I never get a real sense of how things, truly are in these movies, like the majority of white people in America are racist and are empathetic about black people, being oppressed.
Do i want to see a movie, made about this brave black woman?, of corse i do but not made by white Hollywood!
I watched 42 last night, the story about Jackie Robinson, it was exactly what i expected, a white washed movie about the 1st black baseball player for white consumption.
I didn’t pay to see 42, watched it on my jail broken apple TV for free.
I have been, boycotting Hollywood in my own personal way for years. I refuse to support the movie industry, aka white Hollywood.
When Hollywood, gives “young” and not only old black actors and actresses, diverse and broad movie roles, then i would buy a movie ticket, not to mention more black people in movies in general. It gets tiring to always look at white faces in every single movie.
Denzel washington, Samuel L Jackson and Morgan freeman are getting old in age, there are no young black, actors that can take their place. yeah, i know what you’re thinking, “what about Anthony Mackie?, you ask?
When was the last, big budget movie you saw him in? The last movie i saw him in was, The Adjustment Bureau 2011. I haven’t seen the brotha in anything else since.
Young Black actors are not able to perfect their craft, being they are always given the same roles, over and over again.
I will say this in closing, if they were to make a movie about, Harriet Tubman, it will most liked played by a light skinned actress like Hallie berry.
Hollywood obviously doesn’t care if the real Harriet Tubman was dark skinned.
Anyone remember the controversy, surrounding the, “Zoe Saldana Is Not ‘Dark-Skinned Enough’ To Play Nina Simone?” That is what would probably happen with a Harriet Tubman, project.
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She is one of my many great sheroes. I like that she was brave and fearless. She was a true woman of purpose. She kept the shotgun to the back of any slave who had second thoughts about turning back. I remember reading she held a shotgun to any slave who wanted to tun back, because she said “That you will either be free or die”. I also read another account that she killed about 3 to 5 slaves because of this. The woman called Moses was quite appropriate for this great American heroine. Love this.
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If my memory serves me correctly,I remember back in the 80’s Cicely Tyson played Harriet Tubman in a film called A Woman Called Moses. I think I will watch it again.
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@Bulanik; You beat me to it. I was about mention that as well. I read a comic book version of Harriet Tubman’s life in 8th grade. It gives an account of Tubman having blackout spells due to a head injury where she was hit in the head with a rock or a brick. But I remember in middle school reading this. Good looking out. Thanks for bring that to my rememberance.
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lol @ Mary burrel ” I think i will watch it again” it was that good, eh? Let me search for that movie…. ^_^
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@ Sondis; Why are you LoLing. I would like to see it again. Cicely Tyson is a dynamite actress. She does justice to these types of roles. She is a very dignified actress. I don’t think it was whitewashed or anything. Yes, I would like to see it again.
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Mary:
I wasn’t poking fun by loling, i found it great that you were, professing your love for the movie. ^_^
I’ve been looking for it but its heard to find, I’ll check on my apple TV later.
Did you see another old movie by the name of, “Mandingo” 1975 ? I love that movie, not white washed at all, most older movies about hte black experience, are not whitewashed.
Here it is:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073349/?ref_=sr_1
Here is A Woman Called Moses:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078509/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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No problem brother. It’s all good between us. Yes, I remember the movie. The books are more racy. I remember as a kid a family member used to read them and hide them in the garage and I would find them and read them. Now talking about some porn and titillation for my 13 year old sensibilities. Yes there is a whole series of books on the Mandingo thing.
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The following bears repeating:
“It’s funny how Hollyweird will regurgitate the same stories[….]Black female heroines are few and far between. Even though history is rife with them.” ~ darqbeauty
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Reblogged this on Mbeti's Blog.
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Harriet Tubman was not only a hero many times over, she was also one in the truest sense of the word, as she risked her own life and her own freedom each time she brought others to their freedom in Canada via the Underground Railroad.Harriet Tubman was not only a hero many times over, she was also one in the truest sense of the word, as she risked her life and her freedom each time she brought others to their own freedom in Canada via the Underground Railroad.
Regarding the slaves killed by Harriet Tubman: they were doubtlessly escapees who tried to bail out of the group in an attempt to return to “massa”. If they had been allowed to do so, they might have blabbed, or they might even have been beaten into revealing what they knew concerning the Underground Railroad, and, in this way, brought jeopardy to all involved in the transmission of it. For this reason I can understand why Harriet Tubman might have said that they would either be free or die.
The slaves Harriet Tubman killed were probably escapees who tried to bail out of the group in an attempt to return to “massa”. If they had been allowed to do so, they might have blabbed about what they knew, and in doing so, bringing jeopardy to all involved in the Underground Railroad.
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Wow.
How did that repeat happen in the first paragraph?! I know I’m bad at editing but dang!
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@ dave
I was saying it is mental because some slaves could’ve escaped when ms tubman offered but were scared and unsure of the world around them.Ms tubman even said she could’ve freed more if they knew they were slaves.Its like a cult,a cult teaches their members to be afraid so they won’t leave. I’m not saying there was not physical abuse.It was physical as well.The slave master would kill babies and beat people in front of other slaves and that created fear. Fear is what kept some from not taking a leap of faith and attempting to escape .Slavery used mental abuse,emotional abuse,sexual abuse,and physical abuse. The mental abuse affects the way people think and their decisions.Read the willie lynch letter. No im not white i’m a young black woman still learning things about myself and my ancestors.
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Thank you for explaining your meaning … I did realize that my statement could have been taken in a way that sounded like it was a critcism , but I guess that’s why we have dialogue , our words / language is so imprecisely articulated . I did not assume that you were a white person , but there are many black people who have learned to “think” like white people … Again I want you to know that I would never want to blame you ! I am no one to do that , we are , we are all of us , (Black people) victims of the global system of white supremacy … I try to keep that in mind whenever I have a disagreement or conflict with another black person , and for me , it helps .
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@mstoogood4yall; You made excellent points. Great observations. I got where you were going.
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@FIamma; If you read my above comments we are in sync.
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@ dave
If i came across as blaming the victim i apologize,that was not my intent.
I know what you mean i see some of us who are still enslaved mentally,its sad.I don’t want to argue with anyone because yes we are all dealing with oppression in this system made against us. I want to see us suceed,and hope that the ones who are lost will find their way . We still deal with the affects slavery left,we don’t bare the physical wounds our ancestors had but we still deal with the mental and emotional affects.
@ mary thanks
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She was a phenomenal woman of courage and true strength. Her descendents must be so proud to be have her blood running through their veins.
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Legion, “word” has nothing to do with being a “nerd” it has to do with being old and out of touch with the current lingo as that term is so, 90’s
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@ Legion:
Nothing wrong with being old, I’m old and i embrace it! ^_^
Thanks for the compliment on the wisdom, brotha.
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[…] Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913), an escaped Black American slave, was the most famous and successful conductor of the Underground Railroad, helping over 300 blacks to escape slavery from 1849 to 1860… […]
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@ Peanut Cicily Tyson already made a movie about Harriet, I think a movie reboot or a modern version of her life is needed
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Long live Harriet Tubman!!
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Incredible story, absolutly needs to be told, so much about what really happened in the slave era is murky and cloudy, yet, I think there are some of the most amazing stories about the people who were slaves, that may never get told
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@ Kiwi
You’re right…It was an oversight. It should have read:
Though I am sure your self and others got the gist of what I was trying to convey. Just like most did (including myself) with Abagond’s slight err..
But thanks for pointing it out. It was definitely “synchronistic” of mis-typed words, meanings and other errors occurring, commented by others, in this same thread!
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I have some questions about her legacy. Is there much stuff named after her in the states I wonder? Like schools and librarys and such? How well known is she and how is she portrayed in history-lessons?
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“Before she died on March 10, 1913, she gave her home for the elderly to the Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Tubman was buried with military rites in Fort Hill Cemetery, a short drive from the home. A year after her death, Auburn declared a one-day memorial to its anti-slavery hero. Residents of the city that day unveiled the Harriet Tubman Plaque, which remains on display at the entrance of the Cayuga County Court House. She has since received man honors, including the naming of the Liberty Ship Harriet Tubman, christened in 1944 by Eleanor Roosevelt. On June 14, 1914 a large bronze plaque was placed at the Cayuga County Courthouse, and a civic holiday declared in her honor. Freedom Park, a tribute to the memory of Harriet Tubman, opened in the summer of 1994 at 17 North Street in Auburn. In 1995, Harriet Tubman was honored by the federal government with a commemorative postage stamp bearing her name and likeness.”
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html
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I first learned about Harriet Tubman in elementary school (I was probably 8 or 9 years old) when a teacher showed our class a film concerning Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. To this day I still remember parts of that film. That school, however, was 99.99% Black; I seriouly doubt, though, that schools with a sizeable non-Black student body bothered with much of anything concerning Black history in general, or the Slave / Jim Crow eras of US history.
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Fiamma:
“I seriouly doubt, though, that schools with a sizeable non-Black student body bothered with much of anything concerning Black history in general, or the Slave / Jim Crow eras of US history.”
This is the reason why, the majority of whites in America are so empathetic to black people.
White people refuse to learn about our history in regard to how we were treated.
That’s why white people always claim, we are always “playing the race card”. because they are so ignorant to our history.
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Great Black Woman indeed. She even carried a gun with her to stop those who wanted to turn back.
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@Sondis
You are so right about how Hollywood would whitewash Harrriet Tubman’s life in film. Knowing them they would probably hire Kirsten Dunst to play Harriet; the movie would focus on the hardships that whites faced a la Mississippi Burning. Personally I hope Hollywood stays the hell away from Sister Harriet (I’m looking at you QT!). Her lifestory deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and most importantly the truth. We all know Hollywood is incapable of that.
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@mochasister:
Amen my sista! You know it be true…
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@ Abagond
I had read about the Underground railway, and not remembered reading about the terminology per se.
Meditating on Harriet Tubman’s courage and bravery:
Harriet Tubman must go down in the annuls of human history as one of humanities greatest daughters.
[Have you noticed that there are no equals between Black bravery and white?]- compare stand-alone GIANTS like Queen Nzinga, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jnr, Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Harriet Tubman, and unnamed countless of victims and survivors of unimaginable suffering and dehumanization, who somehow bear unfathomable magnanimity.
It is very hard to remain objective and emotionless when reading about one of the worst chapters of history, what Africans had to endure. While making sense of our own lives, surviving, witnessing, and triumphing I (we) still mourn our dead.
I will never understand such cruelty. (It seems white people have accommodated it long ago.).
And I am trying very hard to understand Harriet Tubman’s unequalled bravery in the teeth of grave danger.
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Mirkwood, you have just reaffirmed my notion of you being a racist with the above post.
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Harriet Tubman will be on the face of the $20 bill!!! But probably not till at least 2030 😦 She replaces Andrew Jackson, a slave owner.
More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harriet-tubman-20-bill_us_5717a6f5e4b0060ccda50d8b
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I’m seeing a global movement for a cashless society, as all the humpty dumpties are about to fall, why are doing this replacement NOW??
I don’t trust them. This smells funny.
Moreover, I doubt there will be official Amerikan cash still in use by 2030
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It all about the “Harriets”
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@Mary
(Fun chuckle)
Like.
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We just saw Harriet, the movie, last night. It was more or less a period piece action movie. They had Rev. Green, the local black preacher teach her about the north star on her way north for the first time. It covered a few points listed in this article.
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Brandon Bradford (@BrandonLBradfor) on Twitter on April 26th:
Here are the dates:
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913)
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)
(https://abagond.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/jefferson/)
(https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/ronald-reagan/)
Or, to put it another way, Reagan was alive at the same as Harriet Tubman – and everyone who is now over the age of 17.
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Harriet Tubman isn’t a hero to me, for the same reason Robert E. Lee isn’t a hero to you. Let each volk honor their own heroes. The Northern Ireland solution would work well in both South Africa and the United States. Let the Whites and blacks have their own communities and institutions, but fund them fairly. That way, each community can live by its own customs and values. Blacks wouldn’t have to see statues of Kruger, Pretorius, and Lee; and Whites wouldn’t have to see statues of King, Tubman, and Mandela. It’s a win-win situation.
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