harriet tubman biography (women's history

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Harriet Tubman

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 20, 2024 | Original: October 29, 2009

Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved woman who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom before the Civil War, all while carrying a bounty on her head. But she was also a nurse, a Union spy and a women’s suffrage supporter. Tubman is one of the most recognized icons in American history and her legacy has inspired countless people from every race and background.

When Was Harriet Tubman Born?

Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her parents, Harriet (“Rit”) Green and Benjamin Ross, named her Araminta Ross and called her “Minty.”

Rit worked as a cook in the plantation’s “big house,” and Benjamin was a timber worker. Araminta later changed her first name to Harriet in honor of her mother.

Harriet had eight brothers and sisters, but the realities of slavery eventually forced many of them apart, despite Rit’s attempts to keep the family together. When Harriet was five years old, she was rented out as a nursemaid where she was whipped when the baby cried, leaving her with permanent emotional and physical scars.

Around age seven Harriet was rented out to a planter to set muskrat traps and was later rented out as a field hand. She later said she preferred physical plantation work to indoor domestic chores.

A Good Deed Gone Bad

Harriet’s desire for justice became apparent at age 12 when she spotted an overseer about to throw a heavy weight at a fugitive. Harriet stepped between the enslaved person and the overseer—the weight struck her head.

She later said about the incident, “The weight broke my skull … They carried me to the house all bleeding and fainting. I had no bed, no place to lie down on at all, and they laid me on the seat of the loom, and I stayed there all day and the next.”

Harriet’s good deed left her with headaches and narcolepsy the rest of her life, causing her to fall into a deep sleep at random. She also started having vivid dreams and hallucinations which she often claimed were religious visions (she was a staunch Christian). Her infirmity made her unattractive to potential slave buyers and renters.

Escape from Slavery

In 1840, Harriet’s father was set free and Harriet learned that Rit’s owner’s last will had set Rit and her children, including Harriet, free. But Rit’s new owner refused to recognize the will and kept Rit, Harriet and the rest of her children in bondage.

Around 1844, Harriet married John Tubman, a free Black man, and changed her last name from Ross to Tubman. The marriage was not good, and the knowledge that two of her brothers—Ben and Henry—were about to be sold provoked Harriet to plan an escape.

Harriet Tubman: Underground Railroad

On September 17, 1849, Harriet, Ben and Henry escaped their Maryland plantation. The brothers, however, changed their minds and went back. With the help of the Underground Railroad , Harriet persevered and traveled 90 miles north to Pennsylvania and freedom.

Tubman found work as a housekeeper in Philadelphia, but she wasn’t satisfied living free on her own—she wanted freedom for her loved ones and friends, too.

She soon returned to the south to lead her niece and her niece’s children to Philadelphia via the Underground Railroad. At one point, she tried to bring her husband John north, but he’d remarried and chose to stay in Maryland with his new wife.

Fugitive Slave Act

The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act allowed fugitive and freed workers in the north to be captured and enslaved. This made Harriet’s role as an Underground Railroad conductor much harder and forced her to lead enslaved people further north to Canada, traveling at night, usually in the spring or fall when the days were shorter.

She carried a gun for both her own protection and to “encourage” her charges who might be having second thoughts. She often drugged babies and young children to prevent slave catchers from hearing their cries.

Over the next 10 years, Harriet befriended other abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass , Thomas Garrett and Martha Coffin Wright, and established her own Underground Railroad network. It’s widely reported she emancipated 300 enslaved people; however, those numbers may have been estimated and exaggerated by her biographer Sarah Bradford, since Harriet herself claimed the numbers were much lower.

Nevertheless, it’s believed Harriet personally led at least 70 enslaved people to freedom, including her elderly parents, and instructed dozens of others on how to escape on their own. She claimed, “I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”

Harriet Tubman's Civil War Service

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Harriet found new ways to fight slavery. She was recruited to assist fugitive enslaved people at Fort Monroe and worked as a nurse, cook and laundress. Harriet used her knowledge of herbal medicines to help treat sick soldiers and fugitive enslaved people.

In 1863, Harriet became head of an espionage and scout network for the Union Army. She provided crucial intelligence to Union commanders about Confederate Army supply routes and troops and helped liberate enslaved people to form Black Union regiments.

Though just over five feet tall, she was a force to be reckoned with, although it took over three decades for the government to recognize her military contributions and award her financially.

Harriet Tubman’s Later Years

After the Civil War, Harriet settled with family and friends on land she owned in Auburn, New York . She married former enslaved man and Civil War veteran Nelson Davis in 1869 (her husband John had died 1867) and they adopted a little girl named Gertie a few years later.

Harriet had an open-door policy for anyone in need. She supported her philanthropy efforts by selling her home-grown produce, raising pigs and accepting donations and loans from friends. She remained illiterate yet toured parts of the northeast speaking on behalf of the women’s suffrage movement and worked with noted suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony .

In 1896, Harriet purchased land adjacent to her home and opened the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Colored People. The head injury she suffered in her youth continued to plague her and she endured brain surgery to help relieve her symptoms. But her health continued to deteriorate and eventually forced her to move into her namesake rest home in 1911.

Pneumonia took Harriet Tubman’s life on March 10, 1913, but her legacy lives on. Schools and museums bear her name and her story has been revisited in books, movies and documentaries.

Harriet Tubman: $20 Bill

Tubman even had a World War II Liberty ship named after her, the SS Harriet Tubman.

In 2016, the United States Treasury announced that Harriet’s image will replace that of former President and slaveowner Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (who served under President Trump) later announced the new bill would be delayed until at least 2026. In January 2021, President Biden's administration announced it would speed up the design process to mint the bills honoring Tubman's legacy.

HISTORY Vault: Black History

Watch acclaimed Black History documentaries on HISTORY Vault.

Early Life. Harriet Tubman Historical Society.

General Tubman: Female Abolitionist was Also a Secret Military Weapon. Military Times.

Harriet Tubman Biography. Biography.

Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, Residence, and Thompson AME Zion Church. National Park Service.

Harriet Tubman Myths and Facts. Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman Portrait of An American Hero by Kate Clifford Larson, Ph.D.

Harriet Tubman. National Park Service .

Harriet Tubman. National Women’s History Museum.

Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People. Harriet Tubman Historical Society.

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad. National Park Service.

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Home / A Nation Divided, 1832-1877 / Civil War / Life Story: Harriet Tubman

Life Story: Harriet Tubman (ca. 1820–1913)

Freedom fighter.

The story of the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor and Civil War soldier.

Maquette for “Swing Low, a Harriet Tubman memorial”

Alison Saar, Maquette for “Swing Low: A Harriet Tubman memorial,” 2007. New-York Historical Society, Purchase.

Harriet Tubman was born around the year 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her parents named her Araminta Ross. Her mother, Harriet Green, was an enslaved woman owned by Mary Pattinson Brodess. Her father, Ben Ross, was an enslaved man owned by Anthony Thompson. They were brought together when Mary and Anthony got married. Ben and Harriet had nine children.

Araminta inherited the status of enslaved person from her mother. She was put to work around the age of five. When she was young, her enslaver’s son sold three of Araminta’s sisters to distant plantations, breaking up her family. Araminta’s mother fought successfully to keep the rest of her children with her, but Araminta learned as a child that her life would never be secure so long as she was enslaved.

Araminta suffered violence at the hands of her enslavers and other white people in her community. Her body was scarred from beatings. When she was a teenager, an overseer in town hit her in the head with a two-pound weight. Because of this attack, Araminta suffered from seizures, severe headaches, and narcolepsy for the rest of her life.  

Araminta married John Tubman, a local free Black man, in 1844. The marriage did not change her legal status and she remained enslaved. Around the time of her marriage, she took the name Harriet, probably in honor of her mother. In 1849, she learned that her enslaver was planning to sell her. She decided to take her own freedom rather than submit. John did not join her and eventually remarried. Her brothers set off with her but grew frightened and returned to the plantation. Harriet continued on her own. She was aided by abolitionists who belonged to the Underground Railroad network. When she reached Philadelphia, in the free state of Pennsylvania, she found a job and started a new life.

Harriet’s fame spread throughout the country, and she began to speak at abolitionist events. At the height of her fame, governments in the South offered rewards totaling $40,000 for her capture.

In 1850, Harriet learned that her niece Kessiah was going to be sold. She traveled back to Maryland and helped Kessiah and her family escape to Philadelphia. This was the first of 19 trips Harriet made to guide her family, friends, and anyone else who wanted to use the Underground Railroad to take their own freedom. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made it impossible for escaped slaves to live safely in Northern states, Harriet changed her route and brought people all the way to Canada. 

Harriet was militant in her approach to guiding people on the Underground Railroad. She carried a gun and threatened to kill any person who wanted to turn back and endanger the group. She used a tonic to put babies into a deep sleep, so their cries would not draw attention during nighttime travels. She is estimated to have saved about 70 to 80 people, including her elderly parents. Her fame spread throughout the country, and she began to speak at abolitionist events. At the height of her fame, governments in the South offered rewards totaling $40,000 for her capture. Militant abolitionist John Brown admired her greatly. He called her “General Tubman” and consulted with her before conducting his raid on Harper’s Ferry. Harriet and John both believed that extreme acts were necessary to end slavery in the United States.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Harriet focused her efforts on supporting the Union Army. She was assigned to the 2 nd South Carolina Colored Troops under Colonel James Montgomery. She was given the jobs of cook and nurse because of her race and sex, but Harriet was soon performing more militaristic duties. Her knowledge of the local terrain and her Underground Railroad contacts made her an ideal spy. Her race and sex made it easy for her to slip behind Confederate lines to gather information. She did not abandon her efforts to help enslaved people—she helped the enslaved people who escaped during the war find shelter and safety. But despite all of her work, Harriet was paid very little. She supplemented her income by selling baked goods to Union soldiers.

On June 2, 1863, Harriet became the first woman to lead Union troops into battle. Based on information she had gathered, she led a group of Colonel Montgomery’s troops in a raid down the Combahee River. They destroyed Confederate Army ammunition depots and storage houses and burned several large plantations. They liberated 750 people from slavery in a single night. 

When the war ended, Harriet settled in Auburn, New York, on land she had purchased before the war. Her parents and family were already living there. In 1868, she applied for a military pension but was denied, although Black male spies and soldiers received them. In 1869, she married a Black Civil War veteran named Nelson Davis, and in 1874, they adopted a baby girl named Gertie. It was only after Nelson’s death in 1888 that Harriet began to receive a widow’s pension from the government. 

Harriet remained politically active after the war. She joined Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in their campaign for women’s rights. She attended the founding meeting of the National Association of Colored Women in 1896, where she met and supported Ida B. Wells . Yet Harriet never had enough money to live comfortably. In 1898, she petitioned the government for her military pension and back pay, but instead they increased her widow’s pension from $8 to $20 a month. 

Harriet never stopped working to improve her community and country. In 1908, she opened the Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes, a charity home that she hoped would carry on her work after her death. She died there in 1913 surrounded by friends and family.

• abolitionist: A person who fought to end slavery in the United States. 
• ammunition: Explosive items used by the military.
• Confederate: Relating to the group of states that seceded from the United States before the Civil War in order to preserve slavery.   
• contraband: The name the Union Army gave to all enslaved people who were liberated or escaped to Union lines during the American Civil War. 
• Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: A law that required Northern states to return runaway enslaved people to their enslavers.
• narcolepsy: A condition that causes a person to fall into a deep sleep without warning.
• overseer: A person who was in charge of supervising the work of enslaved people.
• pension: A sum of money regularly paid to a former soldier for life in recognition of their service.
• Underground Railroad: A network of safe houses that helped enslaved people travel to freedom. 
• Union: The name for the states that remained a part of the United State during the Civil War.   

Discussion Questions

• How did Harriet Tubman’s childhood affect her choices as an adult?
• What extreme actions did Harriet Tubman take to dismantle slavery in the United States?
• How did Harriet support the Union war effort? What recognition did she receive for her actions?
• How did Harriet Tubman’s race and sex affect her opportunities in life?

Suggested Activities

• APUSH Connection: 5.8 Military Conflict in the Civil War
• Harriet Tubman existed at an intersection of a variety of oppressed identities: Black, woman, poor, and dis/abled. Be sure to highlight each of these aspects of her identity when teaching her story.
• After reading this life story, invite students to read the record of Harriet Tubman’s recollections  of her early work guiding people to freedom. Why are all the sources we have on her life second hand? How does this complicate learning her story?
• Most biographies of Harriet Tubman minimize her role in the American Civil War. Ask students to consider why this might be the case, and why it is important to include this part of her story. Use this life story to move students beyond the typical narrative of Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy.
• Invite students to watch the film Harriet and consider how filmmakers adapted Harriet Tubman’s life for the big screen. What changes did they make? What do these choices reveal?
• Invite students to research the story of John Brown and write an essay considering why he and Harriet Tubman admired each other’s approach to abolition.
• To learn more about Black women’s role in the post-Civil War fight for women’s rights, visit “All Bound Up Together.”
• Harriet Tubman dedicated her final years to provide a safe home for her family and vulnerable members of her community. To learn more about Black women’s role in post-war community-building, read Life Story: Louisa Smith , Information Wanted , Life Story: Matilda Hughes , and Life Story: Elizabeth Keckley .
• Harriet Tubman was one of many Black women abolitionists operating in the antebellum period. After reading this story, invite students to learn more about the experience of Black women anti-slavery activists in the antebellum period, and compare the challenges and experiences of each: Elizabeth Jennings , Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl , Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society , Resistance , Harriet Robinson Scott , and Sojourner Truth .
• Harriet Tubman’s story illustrates one way women could take an active role in the American Civil War. For a larger lesson on this topic, teach this life story together with any of the following: Nursing , Women’s War Production , Sanitary Fairs , Smuggling , and Women Soldiers .

ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE; POWER AND POLITICS

New-York Historical Society Curriculum Library Connections

• For more about the effects of the Fugitive Slave Law, see New York Divided .
• For more about Black Americans’ experiences after the Civil War, explore  Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow .

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• HISTORY & CULTURE

Why Harriet Tubman risked it all for enslaved Americans

Known as "Moses of Her People" on the Underground Railroad, Tubman’s life was marked by stunning cruelty and supreme courage.

Harriet Tubman's courageous work along the Underground Railroad and her activism afterwards has made her one of America's most well-known historical figures.

She is among history’s most famous Americans—a woman so courageous, she sought her own freedom from slavery twice and so determined, she inspired scores of other enslaved people to flee, too. Revered by some of her era’s most influential minds and given nicknames like “Moses” and “General,” she brought hope to generations of Americans, enslaved and free. She was Harriet Tubman, and her life contained both astonishing cruelty and unlikely success.

Born Araminta “Minty” Ross in Maryland around 1820, she was the daughter of enslaved parents. As a child, her labor was rented out by slaveholder Edward Brodess. When she was 13, an overseer threw a metal weight at an enslaved man in an attempt to make him return to work; it hit her instead, causing a traumatic brain injury . She began to have vivid dreams and symptoms similar to temporal lobe epilepsy; she interpreted her visions as divine symbols and became deeply religious.

As a young woman, she married John Tubman and changed her name. John was free, but his status was not enough to protect his new wife, now named Harriet, from being arbitrarily sold. In 1849, Brodess attempted to sell her but could not find a buyer due to her health. After he died, it looked certain that her other family members would be separated. So Harriet tried escape for the first time, along with her brothers. The attempt failed when her brothers returned to the Brodess household. Soon after, she decided to go it alone. ( Explore the Underground Railroad's "great central depot" in New York .)

A painting of Harriet Tubman, armed with her revolver, guiding formerly enslaved people into Canada.

Tubman made her way from Maryland to Pennsylvania with the help of the Underground Railroad. Once there, she attempted to guide other family members out of slavery. She would return to Maryland 13 times to rescue them. Along the way, she gave other enslaved people information to help their own flight. Armed with a revolver and her faith, she led at least 70 slaves to freedom.

Illiterate and without formal schooling, she nonetheless used her experiences with enslavement to aid the abolitionist cause. She befriended prominent abolitionists and intellectuals, white and black, and leveraged those sympathetic bonds into financial support for her cause. As the Underground Railroad’s most famous “conductor,” she earned the nickname Moses, a reference to the biblical figure who led his people from slavery. During the Civil War, she assisted escaped slaves in Union camps, acted as a nurse, and worked for the Union Army as a scout and spy . In 1863, she led an armed expedition into Confederate territory.

After the Civil War, Tubman continued her activism, agitating for women’s suffrage and advocating for newly free black Americans. Though she was impoverished and in poor health during her later years, she never stopped that advocacy. In 1896, she bought a 25-acre property in upstate New York that later became the Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes . She died there in 1913.

At age 74, Tubman purchased property in Auburn, New York with hopes of turning it into a home for the poor and elderly. With help from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes opened in 1908.

Much of Tubman’s story is shrouded in myth , but she is still revered for the courage that helped her not just escape, but evade potential capture while helping others. For a while, she was even destined for U.S. currency through a planned redesign that would replace Andrew Jackson’s face on the $20 bill with hers. Those plans are now on hold , stymied by an administration change and purported technical challenges. Harriet Tubman may never receive that symbolic nod, but she remains one of American history’s most well-known figures.

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Harriet Tubman: Timeline of Her Life, Underground Rail Service and Activism

In addition to freeing slaves, Tubman was also a Civil War spy, nurse and supporter of women's suffrage.

Wanting to bring an end to slavery, Tubman also coordinated with abolitionists. During the Civil War , she became a nurse and a spy for the Union. And despite her ongoing financial struggles, she continued to fight for equality and justice by speaking out against prejudice and advocating women's suffrage. It's clear Tubman led a momentous life that made the world a better place.

c. 1822: Tubman is born as Araminta "Minty" Ross in Maryland's Dorchester County

Her parents, Ben Ross and Harriet "Rit" Green, are both enslaved, meaning Ross had the same status at birth.

Though her birthdate has often been listed as around 1820, a record from March 1822 lists that a midwife had been paid for tending to Green, which suggests the birth may have taken place in February or March of that year.

c. 1828: Tubman is about five or six years old when her enslavers hire her out to tend to an infant. She is whipped for any perceived mistakes.

c. 1829: Around the age of seven, Tubman is again hired out. Her duties include walking into wet marshes to check muskrat traps. She becomes ill with measles and returns to her mother to recover.

c. 1834-36: An overseer throws a two-pound weight at another slave but hits Tubman's head. She barely survives the devastating injury and experiences headaches for the remainder of her life. It's possible this injury led to her suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy , which could explain her visions and sleeping spells.

c. 1835: Tubman works as a field hand, which she prefers to inside tasks.

c. 1830s: Two of Tubman's older sisters are sold and transported out of Maryland.

1840: Tubman's father is freed from slavery.

1844: She weds John Tubman, a free Black man, though her status as a slave means the union is not legally recognized. Upon marriage, Tubman adopts her mother's name of Harriet.

March 7, 1849: Tubman's owner dies, which makes her fear being sold.

September 17, 1849: Tubman heads north with two of her brothers to escape slavery. However, the men become nervous and convince their sister to return.

October 1849: Tubman runs away

She follows the North Star and makes it to Philadelphia. As Pennsylvania is a free state, she has escaped enslavement.

September 18, 1850: The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 passes. It requires all parts of the United States, even states that had outlawed slavery, to participate in the return of runaway slaves.

December 1850: Tubman helps rescue a niece and her niece's children after learning they are supposed to be sold at auction.

1851: Tubman tries to bring her husband north, but he decides to remain with his second wife, a free Black woman. Tubman instead guides another group to Canada, where they will be outside the reach of the Fugitive Slave Act.

December 1854: Tubman helps a group that includes three of her brothers travel to Canada.

READ MORE: How Harriet Tubman and William Still Helped the Underground Railroad

June 1857: Tubman brings her parents from Maryland to Canada

Her father is in danger because he has been helping the Underground Railroad.

April 1858: In Canada, Tubman meets abolitionist John Brown . She learns of his plans to spark a slave rebellion in the United States and agrees to gather recruits for the cause.

October 16, 1859: Brown's raid on the federal armory at Harper's Ferry in Virginia (now West Virginia) takes place. Tubman does not participate, perhaps due to illness.

1859: Tubman purchases a property in Auburn, New York, from antislavery politician William H. Seward . Having been unhappy in Canada, her parents join Tubman there.

April 27, 1860: In Troy, New York, Tubman helps former slave Charles Nalle elude the U.S. marshals who intend to return him to his enslaver.

December 1860: Tubman makes her last trip on the Underground Railroad

1862: Following the start of the Civil War, Tubman joins Union troops in South Carolina. She becomes a nurse, while also running a wash house and working as a cook to earn money.

c. 1863: Tubman serves as a spy for the Union

She coordinates with former slaves from the area to gather information about the opposing Confederate forces.

READ MORE: Harriet Tubman's Service as a Union Spy

June 1-2, 1863: Tubman leads an armed raid up the Combahee River raid in South Carolina. The mission destroys Confederate supplies and frees more than 700 enslaved people. Tubman is the first woman to head a military expedition in the United States.

July 1863: After the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, whose soldiers were African American volunteers, suffers devastating losses during a bloody battle at Fort Wagner, Tubman helps bury the dead and aids survivors.

June 1864: Tubman is granted a furlough and goes to Auburn to visit her parents.

1865: Tubman nurses Black soldiers at Fort Monroe in Virginia. After the Civil War ends, she visits Washington, D.C., and informs the surgeon general that Black soldiers are experiencing harsh conditions in military hospitals.

READ MORE: Inside Harriet Tubman's Life of Service After the Underground Railroad

July 1865: Tubman asks Seward, who is secretary of state, to help her receive payment for her work during the war. She is not successful, due in part to the turmoil of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination and Seward's ongoing recovery from stab wounds suffering during an assassination attempt.

October 1865: Tubman is traveling home by train when a conductor orders her, using a racial slur , to go to a different car. She defends her rights but is forcibly removed.

December 1868: Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman , a biography by Sarah Bradford is published (though the official publication date is listed as 1869). The book has multiple inaccuracies but sales raise approximately $1,200 for a financially struggling Tubman.

March 18, 1869: Tubman weds Nelson Davis, a 25-year-old former slave and Civil War veteran.

1873: Tubman is robbed by men who trick her into believing they could provide her with Confederate gold.

1874: Tubman and her husband adopt a daughter, whom they name Gertie Davis.

June 1886: Tubman buys 25 acres of land next to her home in Auburn to create a nursing home for Black Americans.

October 1886: A revised Tubman biography, Harriet, the Moses of Her People , is published.

October 18, 1888: Tubman's husband dies after suffering from tuberculosis.

1890s: Tubman becomes more involved in the movement for women's suffrage.

June 1890: Tubman applies for a pension as a Civil War widow.

October 16, 1895 : Tubman is approved for a war widow pension of $8 a month .

July 1896: Tubman speaks at the founding conference of the National Association of Colored Women.

November 1896: Tubman is introduced by Susan B. Anthony at a suffrage convention in Rochester, New York.

1897: Queen Victoria sends Tubman a shawl and a medal in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. The queen also invites Tubman to visit England to celebrate her birthday, but Tubman's straitened finances make this an impossibility.

Late 1890s: Tubman undergoes brain surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in an attempt to alleviate her painful headaches.

1899: Congress raises Tubman's pension to $20 per month, but the increase is for her services as a nurse instead of her military work.

June 23, 1908: Tubman attends the opening ceremony for the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. It will be operated by AME Zion Church, which has taken over the deed to the property.

May 19, 1911: An ailing Tubman becomes a resident of the Harriet Tubman Home. Supporters raise funds to finance her care.

March 10, 1913: Tubman dies following a battle with pneumonia

March 13, 1913: Tubman is buried with military honors.

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The Timeless Tale of Tubman: A 200 Year Legacy

Prominent historical figure Harriet Tubman has been the subject of much discussion in recent years. From a 2019 Hollywood film documenting her most well-known accomplishments (appropriately titled Harriet), to the nomination of her likeness on the 20-dollar bill, to her induction in the United States Army Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame in June of 2021, it’s clear Tubman’s accomplishments precede her. She serves as a beacon of hope to many — even as we mark 200 years since Tubman’s birth in 2022.

Tubman was originally born Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland sometime in 1822. After subsequently escaping to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in her late twenties and frequenting a few other locations following that, she always remained true to her roots. 

Tubman is most recognizable for her acts of securing justice for many enslaved by freeing over 70 enslaved individuals as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and a hefty 700 more at the Combahee River Raid as a Union spy. However, there are other elements of Tubman’s life story that can provide contemporary audiences with a sense of inspiration. Though her reality was greatly shaped by enslavement, Tubman did not allow herself to be defined by it. Instead, she focused her attention on caring for her community, was grounded in her spiritual beliefs, and held fast to her values, even into old age. Her life and its legacy provide a blueprint for women of all backgrounds, granting each generation that comes after her with a renewed sense of optimism.

I spent my 2022 summer in Auburn, NY interning with the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, residing in the town Tubman called “The Land of Milk and Honey,” and familiarizing myself with its vibrant community and having the honor of interacting with her various descendants. In being immersed in her story (both physically and emotionally) each day I became deeply aware of the impact Tubman continues to have not only on me, but on many who engage with her life.  It is this epiphany that brings me to ask: What are the less discussed, often overlooked elements of Tubman’s story, from which we can be inspired?

She fostered true connections, placing community care at the forefront of her efforts

It could be said that the act of freeing various enslaved individuals from her community is all that’s needed to inspire us today. Even so, a thorough examination of Tubman’s life conveys that these trips on the Underground Railroad were not the only ways in which she expressed care for African Americans—both enslaved and otherwise. When Tubman first escaped, she returned only a year later—she missed her family and wanted freedom for them as well. In coming to take them with her, she also extended the offer to her husband John Tubman. When she discovered he was remarried and that his new wife was with child, she still offered to take both John Tubman and his new wife Caroline on the journey. Though deep heartache surely plagued her, her commitment to justice knew no bounds. It is in moments like this it becomes clear that Tubman’s acts were not ego-driven. Rather, she believed in her cause so profoundly that she allowed little to stop her from following through with all she set out to do. Tubman’s pursuits show us that while our own individual struggles are valid, there are times in which we must also consider those outside of us, especially in working towards a more just future.

A connection to something larger than herself kept her grounded and people-focused

Throughout most of her life, Tubman was disabled. Though the story of how her injury led to a lifelong battle is a harrowing one, we can look to her as a figure who found meaning in strife. As a young girl, her enslaver was attempting to catch an enslaved person who had run away, throwing a two-pound weight at him. He missed, hitting Tubman square in the head. As a result of the incident, she suffered from narcolepsy and chronic pain. While she would ultimately undergo a surgery to alleviate some of the pain, the visions Tubman claimed to have as a result of her incident never ceased. It is through this lens that we can understand Tubman as a disabled woman, who had to live with the physical reminder of her circumstances as a once-enslaved woman each day. Tubman also asserted she was imbued by visions of a higher power because of the incident. Believing God to have been guiding her on her many journeys, she stood strong in her convictions even when faced with doubt—so much so that she never once lost a soul on the Underground Railroad, nor was she ever caught. She was a devout and deeply spiritual woman, who used her beliefs to support and uplift others. From her experiences, we learn that what guides us in our understanding of the world should also remind us to remain grounded. The world is much larger than our present experiences and understanding this can allow for solidarity amongst many.

She held fast to her ideas of a more just future, even well into old age  

Later in life, Tubman would eventually settle in Auburn, New York. It is here that Tubman and her second husband, Nelson Davis, built their home and she established herself early on as a pillar within her community. Auburn already had a well-established African American presence, as well as several notable abolitionists and suffragists residing in the area. Surrounded by advocates for diverse causes, Tubman remained both connected and inspired. Due to these connections, she recognized a glaring gap in Auburn’s offerings of community-centered homes for elderly African Americans. She addressed this disparity by developing her own, called the Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes. She purchased 25-acres of land at 74 years of age next to her property on which to build the home and deeded it to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church to build and operate. Tubman oversaw operations for the home for over a decade, but upon falling ill she became a resident in the Home for the Aged until her passing in 1913. While Tubman could have easily asserted that she had given her entire life to her community and lived out her days without further action, she never relented. She honored her vision of upholding freedom and justice, reminding us that our passion is a gift. By remaining true to ourselves, we empower others to do the same.

How we can keep Tubman’s legacy alive

In engaging with Tubman’s story, women and young people today are called to envision what it means to live a life that centers connection and community. Though her accomplishments were extraordinary, the most important lessons can be found in her motivations. She was a family-oriented woman who valued spiritualism, activism, and freedom, but most of all, she followed her most innate desires at a time when the thoughts of women and African Americans were devalued. Her story is one we can look to in order to feel we are not alone in our endeavors, but rather that we can be guided by those who came before us. If there’s any testament to the legacy of Tubman, it is in the fact that even now, in the bicentennial year of her birth, she remains at the forefront of a number of timeless conversations and celebrations. Now, we can all hope to carry the inspiration of her story not only into our present but our future as well. By honoring all of who Tubman was, we are empowered to honor all of what we are and can be.

Shay Dawson is the NWHM 2022-2024 Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, and a current Museum Studies graduate student at Johns Hopkins University.

Bradford, Sarah Hopkins. Harriet, the Moses of Her People. Chapel Hill: The University of North  Carolina Press, 2012.  muse.jhu.edu/book/19228 .

“Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service).” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior.   https://www.nps.gov/hart/index.htm .

Larson, Kate Clifford, Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. New York, Ballantine, 2004.

Michals, Debra.  "Harriet Tubman."  National Women's History Museum.  2015.   www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman .

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Harriet Tubman

Information and articles about harriet tubman, a famous women in history, harriet tubman facts.

1819 or 1820, near Bucktown, Dorchester County, Maryland

March 10, 1913, Auburn, New York

Accomplishments

Civil War Nurse Abolitionist Advocate of Women’s Suffrage Movement Civil Rights activist Prominent Figure in The Underground Railroad First woman in America to conduct an armed military raid

Harriet Tubman Articles

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Harriet Tubman summary: Harriet Tubman is often called the Moses of her people for leading so many of them out of bondage to freedom. She was an abolitionist, an integral part of the Underground Railroad , a humanitarian, and a Union nurse and spy during the American Civil War .

Araminta Ross was born in the winter of 1819 or 1820 to Benjamin and Harriet (Greene) Ross, who were slaves on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Araminta or "Minty" was born into a large family of slaves with origins in Africa—her grandparents may have been from the Ashanti tribe in what is now Ghana. The exact date of her birth is unknown because she was a slave and owners did not often record their slave’s birthdates. Before she reached adulthood, Araminta changed her first name to Harriet, after her mother.

Although some of her siblings were illegally sold to out of state buyers, at five or six years old, Harriet was loaned out to another plantation, where she was put to work checking muskrat traps in rivers. She became too sick to work and was returned, malnourished and suffering from exposure to cold. After she recovered, she was lent out again to another plantation where she worked as a nursemaid to the planter’s child.

By her early teens, she was working as a field hand, plowing and hauling wood. During this time, she defended a fellow field hand who had tried to run away. Harriet came between the angry overseer and the field hand. The overseer threw a two-pound weight at the field hand, but it fell short and hit Harriet in the head—she had life-long headaches, seizures, and narcolepsey as a result.

Around 1844, Harriet asked for and received permission from her owners to marry and live with John Tubman, a freeman, and took his last name, but she was required to continue working for her owner. In 1849, Harriet and two of her brothers ran away after their master died, afraid that they would be sold. Her brothers had second thoughts, and the group returned. Not long after, Harriet left on her own, on foot in the middle of the night, using a part of the Underground Railroad that was already in place in eastern Maryland. She traveled only at night, using the North Star and instructions from helpers in the Underground Railroad to guide her about 90 miles to Pennsylvania.

She went to Philadelphia, worked odd jobs, and began to make plans for a return to Maryland to help her family—and eventually anyone who would take the risk of flight—to freedom. She became involved in abolitionist organizations, including the Underground Railroad, which provided safe havens and guidance for escaping slaves.

In 1850 she returned to Maryland and brought her niece’s family to freedom. In 1851, she returned for one of her brothers and two other men. During her third trip, she planned to convince her husband to come north, but discovered he had taken another wife, a freewoman. Instead, she found other slaves seeking freedom and guided them to freedom. Emboldened by each trip, which were all successful, Harriet continued her slave-freeing trips into Maryland. She became adept at avoiding capture and she carried a long rifle with her—both for protection and as a means of ensuring her escapees would not lose their nerve. She warned them that if they changed their mind and surrendered or returned to their owners, she would shoot them.

Following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Harriet left Philadelphia and moved to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, where she brought many of the slaves she freed. Throughout the 1850s, she made numerous trips back into Maryland to guide slaves to freedom, including three of her other brothers in 1853 and her parents in 1857. By the late 1850s, she was able to buy a small farm for her parents in Auburn, New York, from New York Senator William H. Seward, one of her advocates and supporters. The following year, she moved from St. Catharines to the house in Auburn as well, using it as her base when she wasn’t traveling or speaking.

In her 12 years of freedom before the American Civil War began, Harriet helped make the Underground Railroad one of the most important aspects of abolitionism and became one of the most active figures in the movement. John Brown, the militant abolitionist she sometimes worked with, called her General Tubman for her bravery. In 1858, she helped Brown raise funds for a raid on the United States Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), after which he planned to arm the slaves of the town and instigate a rebellion, although she did not participate in the ill-fated 1859 raid.

During the Civil War, Harriet served with the Union Army, doing whatever she could to help with the war and to help the fugitive slaves that arrived at Union army camps, cooking meals and nursing soldiers and fugitives alike. In 1862 she went with a group of missionary teachers to Union-occupied Beaufort, South Carolina, to help a group of Sea Island slaves transition to freedom. She was also a scout and a spy behind Confederate lines. In 1863, she became the first woman in America to command an armed military raid. She led Colonel James Montgomery and his 2nd South Carolina regiment, composed of freed black men, up the Combahee River in South Carolina’s southern Low Country. They sought Confederate outposts and destroyed stockpiles of cotton, food, and weapons, and liberated over 700 slaves.

At the end of the war, Harriet returned to Auburn and continued to be a community activist and humanitarian, and an active member of the suffrage movement. She helped shelter the poor and the elderly on the farm in Auburn though she herself struggled financially.

In 1867, her estranged husband, John, was killed in Maryland by Robert Vincent, a white man with whom he had quarreled earlier that day. Two years later, she remarried, this time to Civil War veteran Nelson Davis, whom she had taken in at the end of the war. In 1874, they adopted a daughter, Gertie.

Beginning in the late 1860s, she sought compensation from the federal government for her work during the war. Her request was rejected although her petition was supported by many prominent people, including now-Secretary of State William H. Seward.

Her financial difficulties continued. Her friends and her allies from the abolitionist movement raised funds to help her. Local children’s author Sarah H. Bradford wrote an authorized biography called Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman , published in 1869, and gave the money from sales of the book to Harriet. The book remains a valuable source of information about Harriet’s life. Bradford wrote another book in 1886, Harriet, the Moses of her People , and there were other fundraisers through the years to help Harriet.

In 1895, Congress awarded her a pension of $8 monthly as the widow of a Union solider— Nelson had died in 1888—and a lump sum of $500 retroactive compensation for the five years in which her pension claim had been pending. In 1897, a bill was introduced to provide her with an additional $25 a month in recognition of her services as a Union army nurse. Nearly two years later Congress agreed upon a small, life-long pension of $12 a month for her services as a wartime nurse—the standard amount for such pensions—in addition to her widow’s pension, and President William McKinley signed the bill into law.

At the turn of the century, Harriet became involved with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Auburn. In 1903, she donated some of her land to the church on the condition that it be used for a home for the "aged and indigent colored people." The community in Auburn funded the construction of the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, which opened in 1908. By 1911, frail and indigent herself, she was admitted to the home, where she died in 1913. She was buried at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn with military honors. She continues to be an enduring symbol of self-sacrifice, persistence, patriotism, and humanitarianism.

Articles Featuring Harriet Tubman From History Net Magazines

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Marking harriet tubman's 200th birthday.

Harriet Tubman has been known by her many names and roles—Araminta Ross (her birth name), Moses (a nickname), conductor, daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt. All encompass the intersecting identities and experiences of her life.

On the bicentennial of her birth in March 2022, we explore not just Harriet Tubman the icon, but Harriet the woman. Her legacy of care, activism, and bravery have influenced generations of Black women. 

Objects related to Tubman’s life highlight her impact on her contemporaries, including the shawl gifted to her by Queen Victoria. Others, such as her apron, reveal her domestic life as a wife and mother, and her hymnal signals the devout religious beliefs that inspired her to “conduct” hundreds of African Americans to freedom from bondage.

In 2017,  a photograph of a young Harriet Tubman  surfaced that had been lost to history for more than a century.  Hear the story behind this picture , and learn how its discovery changes the way we see Tubman—not just an icon of freedom and human dignity, but a courageous young woman. Learn more about Tubman’s life and legacy from our  National Museum of African American History and Culture .

Angela Tate Curator, Women’s History National Museum of African American History and Culture 

Exiting nps.gov

Harriet tubman.

Library of Congress

Born into slavery on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1822, Tubman was named Araminta by her enslaved parents, Ben and Rit Ross. Nearly killed at the age of 13 by a blow to her head, "Minty" recovered and grew strong and determined to be free.

Changing her name to Harriet upon her marriage to freeman John Tubman in 1844, she escaped five years later when her enslaver died and she was to be sold. One hundred dollars was offered for her capture. Vowing to return to bring her family and friends to freedom, she spent the next ten years making about 13 trips into Maryland to rescue them. She also gave instructions to about 70 more who found their way to freedom independently.

Tubman successfully used the skills she had learned while working on the wharves, fields and woods, observing the stars and natural environment and learning about the secret communication networks of free and enslaved African Americans to affect her escapes. She later claimed she never lost a passenger. The famous abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison called her "Moses," and the name stuck.

A lifelong humanitarian and civil rights activist, she formed friendships with abolitionists, politicians, writers and intellectuals. She knew Frederick Douglass and was close to John Brown and William Henry Seward. She was particularly close with suffragists Lucretia Coffin Mott, Martha Coffin Wright, and Susan B. Anthony. Intellectuals in New England's progressive circles, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Lloyd Garrison, Bronson Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Franklin B. Sanborn, and Mrs. Horace Mann, befriended her, and her work was heralded beyond the United States.

During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. In early 1862, Tubman traveled to South Carolina to provide badly needed nursing care for African-American soldiers and civilians. Working with Major General David Hunter, Tubman also began spying and scouting behind Confederate lines. 

On June 1, 1863 she joined Colonel James Montgomery and his 2nd South Carolina Infantry, composed of emancipated slaves, in an assault on several plantations along the Combahee River. This raid rescued more than 700 enslaved people, many of whom later enlisted in the Union army. These actions weakened the Confederate economy while providing the Union army with more soldiers. Her role in the raid was celebrated in the press, increasing her fame. 

Tubman showed the same zeal and passion for the campaign to attain women's suffrage after the American Civil War as she had shown for the abolition of slavery. Harriet Tubman died in 1913 in Auburn, New York at the home she purchased from Secretary of State William Seward in 1859, where she established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. She was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery.  

To learn more about Harriet Tubman and her legacy, consider reading the following articles: Determining Harriet Tubman's Birth Year Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman and the 54th Massachusetts Re-Imagining Harriet Tubman

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Last updated: February 27, 2024

Biography of Harriet Tubman: Freed Enslaved People, Fought for the Union

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Harriet Tubman (c. 1820–March 10, 1913) was an enslaved woman, freedom seeker, Underground Railroad conductor, North American 19th-century Black activist , spy, soldier, and nurse known for her service during the Civil War and her advocacy of civil rights and women's suffrage.

Tubman remains one of history's most inspiring African Americans and there are many children's stories about her, but those usually stress her early life, escape from enslavement, and work with the Underground Railroad. Less known are her Civil War service and her other activities in the nearly 50 years she lived after the war.

Fast Facts: Harriet Tubman

• Known For : Participation in the North American 19-century Black activist movement, Civil War work, civil rights
• Also Known As : Araminta Ross, Araminta Green, Harriet Ross, Harriet Ross Tubman, Moses
• Born : c. 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland
• Parents : Benjamin Ross, Harriet Green
• Died : March 10, 1913 in Auburn, New York
• Spouses : John Tubman, Nelson Davis
• Children : Gertie
• Notable Quote : "I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other; for no man should take me alive."

Tubman was enslaved from birth in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1820 or 1821, on the plantation of Edward Brodas or Brodess. Her birth name was Araminta, and she was called Minty until she changed her name to Harriet—after her mother—as an early teen. Her parents, Benjamin Ross and Harriet Green were enslaved Africans who saw many of their 11 children sold into the Deep South.

At age 5, Araminta was "rented" to neighbors to do housework. She was never good at household chores and was beaten by her enslavers and "renters." She wasn't educated to read or write. She eventually was assigned to work as a field hand, which she preferred to housework. At age 15, she suffered a head injury when she blocked the path of the overseer pursuing an uncooperative enslaved person. The overseer flung a weight at the other enslaved people, hitting Tubman, who probably sustained a severe concussion. She was ill for a long time and never fully recovered.

In 1844 or 1845, Tubman married John Tubman, a free Black man. Shortly after her marriage, she hired a lawyer to investigate her legal history and discovered that her mother had been freed on a technicality upon the death of a former enslaver The lawyer advised her that a court wouldn't likely hear the case, so she dropped it. But knowing that she should have been born free led her to contemplate freedom and resent her situation.

In 1849, Tubman heard that two of her brothers were about to be sold to the Deep South, and her husband threatened to sell her, too. She tried to persuade her brothers to escape with her but left alone, making her way to Philadelphia and freedom. The next year, Tubman decided to return to Maryland to free her sister and her sister's family. Over the next 12 years, she returned 18 or 19 times, bringing more than 300 people out of enslavement.

Underground Railroad

Tubman's organizing ability was crucial to her work with the Underground Railroad, a network of opponents of enslavement that helped freedom seekers escape. Tubman was only 5 feet tall, but she was smart and strong and carried a rifle. She used it not only to intimidate pro-enslavement people but also to keep enslaved people from backing out. She told any who seemed ready to leave that "dead Negroes tell no tales" about the railroad.

When Tubman first reached Philadelphia, she was, under the law of the time, a free woman, but the passage of the  Fugitive Slave Act in 1850 made her a freedom seeker again. All citizens were obligated to aid in her recapture, so she had to operate quietly. But she soon became known throughout the North American 19th-century Black activist circles and freedmen's communities.

After the Fugitive Slave Act passed, Tubman began guiding her Underground Railroad passengers to Canada, where they could be truly free. From 1851 through 1857, she lived parts of the year in St. Catherines, Canada, and Auburn, New York, where many North American 19th-century Black activists lived.

Other Activities

In addition to her twice-yearly trips to Maryland to help freedom seekers escape, Tubman developed her oratorical skills and began speaking publicly at anti-enslavement meetings and, by the end of the decade, women's rights meetings. A price had been placed on her head—at one time it was as high as $40,000—but she was never betrayed.

Tubman freed three of her brothers in 1854, bringing them to St. Catherines. In 1857, Tubman brought her parents to freedom. They couldn't take Canada's climate, so she settled them on land she bought in Auburn with the aid of North American 19th-century Black activists. Earlier, she had returned to rescue her husband John Tubman, only to find he'd remarried and wasn't interested in leaving.

Tubman earned money as a cook and laundress, but she also received support from public figures in New England, including key North American 19th-century Black activists. She was supported by  Susan B Anthony , William H. Seward, Ralph Waldo Emerson , Horace Mann, the Alcotts, including educator Bronson Alcott and writer  Louisa May Alcott , William Still  of Philadelphia, and Thomas Garratt of Wilmington, Delaware. Some supporters used their homes as Underground Railroad stations.

In 1859, when John Brown was organizing a rebellion he believed would end enslavement, he consulted Tubman. She supported his plans at Harper's Ferry , raised funds in Canada, and recruited soldiers. She intended to help him take the armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia to supply guns to enslaved people they believed would rebel against their captivity. But she became ill and wasn't there.

Brown's raid failed and his supporters were killed or arrested. She mourned her friends' deaths and continued to hold Brown as a hero.

Tubman's trips to the South as "Moses," as she'd become known for leading her people to freedom, ended as the Southern states began to secede and the U.S. government prepared for war. Once war started, Tubman went South to assist with "contrabands," freedom seekers attached to the Union Army. The next year, the Union Army asked Tubman to organize a network of scouts and spies among Black men. She led forays to gather information and persuade enslaved people to leave their enslavers. Many joined regiments of Black soldiers.

In July 1863, Tubman led troops commanded by Col. James Montgomery in the Combahee River expedition, disrupting Southern supply lines by destroying bridges and railroads and freeing more than 750 enslaved people. Gen. Rufus Saxton, who reported the raid to Secretary of War  Edwin Stanton , said: "This is the only military command in American history wherein a woman, Black or White, led the raid and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted." Some believe Tubman was allowed to go beyond women's traditional boundaries because of her race.

Tubman, believing she was employed by the U.S. Army, spent her first paycheck on building a place where freed Black women could earn a living doing laundry for soldiers. But she wasn't paid regularly or given rations she believed she deserved. She received only $200 in three years of service, supporting herself by selling baked goods and root beer, which she made after she completed her regular duties.

After the war, Tubman never got her back military pay. When she applied for a pension—with the support of Secretary of State William Seward, Colonel T. W. Higginson, and Rufus—her application was denied. Despite her service and fame, she had no official documents to prove she had served in the war.

Freedmen Schools

After the war, Tubman established schools for freedmen in South Carolina. She never learned to read and write, but she appreciated the value of education and supported efforts to educate formerly enslaved people.

She later returned to her home in Auburn, New York, which was her base for the rest of her life. She financially supported her parents, and her brothers and their families moved to Auburn. Her first husband died in 1867 in a fight with a White man. In 1869 she married Nelson Davis, who had been enslaved in North Carolina but served as a Union Army soldier. He was often ill, probably with tuberculosis, and frequently couldn't work.

Tubman welcomed several children into her home, raising them as her own, and supported some impoverished formerly enslaved people, financing her efforts through donations and loans. In 1874, she and Davis adopted a baby girl named Gertie.

Publishing and Speaking

To finance her life and her support of others, she worked with historian Sarah Hopkins Bradford to publish "Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman" in 1869. The book was initially financed by North American 19th-century Black activists, including Wendell Phillips and Gerrit Smith, the latter a supporter of John Brown and first cousin of suffragist  Elizabeth Cady Stanton . Tubman toured to speak about her experiences as "Moses."

In 1886, Bradford, with Tubman's help, wrote a full-scale biography of Tubman titled "Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People." In the 1890s, she finally was able to collect a pension as Davis' widow: $8 a month.

Tubman also worked with Susan B. Anthony on women's suffrage. She attended women's rights conventions and spoke for the women's movement, advocating for the rights of Black women. In 1896, Tubman spoke at the first meeting of the National Association of Colored Women .

Continuing to support aged and poor African Americans, Tubman established a home on 25 acres next to her home in Auburn, raising money with help from the AME Church and a local bank. The home, which opened in 1908, initially was called the John Brown Home for Aged and Indigent Colored People but later was named for her.

She donated the home to the AME Zion Church with the proviso that it would be kept as a home for the elderly. She moved into the home in 1911 and died of pneumonia on March 10, 1913.

Tubman became an icon after her death. A World War II Liberty ship was named for her, and in 1978 she was featured on a commemorative stamp. Her home has been named a national historic landmark.

The four phases of Tubman's life—an enslaved person; a North American 19th-century Black activist and conductor on the Underground Railroad; a Civil War soldier, nurse, spy, and scout; and a social reformer—are important aspects of her dedication to service. Schools and museums bear her name and her history has been told in books, movies, and documentaries.

In April 2016, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced that Tubman would replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill by 2020, but the plans were delayed.

• " Timeline of the Life of Harriet Tubman ." Harriet Tubman Historical Society.
• " Harriet Tubman Biography ." Harriettubmanbiography.com.
• " Harriet Tubman: American Abolitionist ." Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• " Harriet Tubman Biography ." Biography.com.
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Harriet tubman, spy.

You might know her as a conductor for the Underground Railroad. She was also a spy.

Harriet Tubman cautiously watched the shore from one of three gunboats on the Combahee River. She and several hundred Union soldiers were preparing a raid to free hundreds of enslaved people from plantations in South Carolina , part of the Confederate states that were fighting against the Union during the Civil War of 1861 to 1865. Enemy soldiers were hiding nearby—success was far from guaranteed.

Harriet Tubman is well known for risking her life as a “conductor” in the Underground Railroad , which led escaped enslaved people to freedom in the North. But the former enslaved woman also served as a spy for the Union during the Civil War. Tubman decided to help the Union Army because she wanted freedom for all of the people who were forced into slavery, not just the few she could help on the Underground Railroad. And she convinced many other brave African Americans to join her as spies—even at the risk of being hanged if they were caught.

A SECRET MISSION

The Civil War was a time when women were usually restricted to traditional roles like cooking and nursing. Tubman did jobs like that, but as a spy she worked side-by-side with men, says Tom Allen, author of the Nat Geo book Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent .

In one of her most dramatic and dangerous roles, Tubman helped Colonel James Montgomery plan a raid to free enslaved people from plantations along the Combahee (pronounced “KUM-bee”) River in South Carolina. Early on the morning of June 1, 1863, three gunboats carrying several hundred male soldiers along with Tubman set out on their mission.

Tubman had gathered key information from her scouts about the Confederate positions. She knew where they were hiding along the shore. She also found out where they had placed torpedoes, or barrels filled with gunpowder, in the water.

As the early morning fog lifted on some of the South’s most important rice plantations, the Union expedition hit hard. The raiders set fire to buildings and destroyed bridges so they couldn’t be used by the Confederate Army. They also freed about 750 enslaved people—men, women, children, and babies—and did not lose one soldier in the attack.

A WRITER'S QUEST

To gather the facts, Allen searched libraries and the internet, and even walked in Tubman’s footsteps. “I went on the river just south of the area where the raid took place,” he says. “You're in that kind of country she would have known, with plenty of mosquitoes and snakes, and dirt roads are still there today—so you get a feeling of what it was like.”

Allen says his most exciting moment came when a librarian led him to written accounts by people who actually saw Tubman and the raiders in action.

“She was five feet two inches (157 centimeters) tall, born a slave, had a debilitating illness, and was unable to read or write. Yet here was this tough woman who could take charge and lead men," Allen says. "I got to like her pretty quickly because of her strength and her spirit.”

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Women heroes, women's history month, the women's suffrage movement.

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Harriet Tubman’s Impact on American History: From the Underground Railroad to Women’s Suffrage

Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy continue to inspire people today. She is widely recognised as an American hero and a symbol of courage, strength, and determination in the face of adversity. In 2020, the US Treasury Department announced that Harriet Tubman will be the new face of the $20 bill, replacing Andrew Jackson.

Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, into a family of enslaved African Americans. She grew up working on a plantation and endured brutal treatment, including being whipped and beaten. When she was around 27 years old, Tubman escaped from slavery with the help of the Underground Railroad, a network of anti-slavery activists and safe houses that helped slaves escape to freedom.

After her escape, Tubman became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, leading around 13 missions to rescue over 70 enslaved people. She made dangerous journeys back to Maryland to rescue family members and friends, as well as strangers who were seeking freedom. Tubman became known as “Moses” to those she helped, because of her leadership and the way she led people to safety.

During the Civil War, Tubman worked as a nurse, cook, and spy for the Union Army. She also led a raid on plantations in South Carolina, freeing over 700 slaves. She was the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the war.

After the war, Tubman settled in Auburn, New York, where she continued to advocate for women’s suffrage and civil rights. She also established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, a home for elderly African Americans who were poor and/or disabled. Tubman lived there herself until her death in 1913.

Quotes from Harriet Tubman

“I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.” – Harriet Tubman’s response when asked about her success as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman’s inspiring words about pursuing one’s dreams and making a difference in the world.

“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” – Harriet Tubman’s poignant comment about the power of knowledge and awareness in the fight against slavery.

“I never ran away from slavery – I simply walked away.” – Harriet Tubman’s statement about her determination and courage in seeking freedom.

“I prayed to God to make me strong and able to fight, and that’s what I’ve always prayed for ever since.” – Harriet Tubman’s expression of her faith and her belief in the power of prayer to give her strength and courage”.

Harriet Tubman’s legacy is a powerful one, and it has had a lasting impact on American history and culture. Here are some of the key aspects of her legacy:

Abolitionism: Harriet Tubman was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery in the United States. She risked her own safety and freedom to help other enslaved people escape to freedom, and her actions helped to raise awareness about the injustices of slavery.

Underground Railroad : Harriet Tubman was a key conductor on the Underground Railroad, a network of abolitionists who helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North. Her bravery and leadership on the Underground Railroad helped many people to find freedom and inspired others to get involved in the abolitionist movement.

Civil Wa r: During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman worked as a nurse, cook, and spy for the Union Army. She also led a raid on plantations in South Carolina, freeing over 700 slaves. Her contributions to the war effort helped to secure the Union’s victory and paved the way for the end of slavery in the United States.

Women’s Rights : Harriet Tubman was also an advocate for women’s suffrage and civil rights. She believed in the importance of equal rights and fought for them throughout her life. Her legacy has helped to inspire and empower generations of women and civil rights activists.

Symbol of courage and determination: Harriet Tubman’s life story is a powerful example of courage, determination, and resilience in the face of adversity. Her legacy continues to inspire people today to stand up for what is right, fight for justice, and never give up in the face of challenges.

Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy continue to inspire people today. She is widely recognised as an American hero and a symbol of courage, strength, and determination in the face of adversity. In 2020, the US Treasury Department announced that Harriet Tubman will be the new face of the $20 bill, replacing Andrew Jackson.

Short Biography

• Picture Gallery

Date and place of birth

c.1820; Dorchester County, Maryland.

Date and place of death :

March 10, 1913; Auburn, New York.

Background:

Harriet Tubman was born a slave,  her parents named her Araminta “Minty” Ross. She changed her name in 1849 when she escaped . She adopted the name Harriet after her mother and the last name Tubman after her husband. Tubman suffered a head injury as a teenager which gave her vivid dreams and hallucinations, in addition to sleeping spells. She was deeply religious and according to her it was her religious beliefs that gave her courage rescue friends and family over and over again. She remained illiterate for her entire life.

Accomplishments :

Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad . In a decade she guided over 300 slaves to freedom; abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison thought she deserved the nickname “Moses” . She worked hard to save money to return and save more slaves. In time she built a reputation and many Underground Railroad supporters  provided her with funds and shelter to support her trips.

During the Civil War, Tubman served as a nurse, cook, laundress, spy and scout. After the Emancipation Proclamation  she returned to Auburn where she lived the rest of her life . She opened her doors to those in need. With donations and the proceeds of her vegetable garden she was able to support herself and those she helped. She raised money to open schools for African Americans and gave speeches on Women’s rights . Her dream was to built a home for the elderly and in 1908 the Harriet Tubman Home for the Elderly  was inaugurated.

Watch this interesting video by Citizen and Immigration Canada about the life of Harriet Tubman:

More videos about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad >>

A biography you might be interested in reading:, benjamin franklin, americas’s genius.

• Underground Railroad
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African american civil rights movement, the life of frederick douglass, life and poems of phillis wheatley, abraham lincoln.

Harriet Tubman

• Occupation: Nurse, Civil Rights Activist
• Born: 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland
• Died: March 10, 1913 in Auburn, New York
• Best known as: A leader in the Underground Railroad

• Her nickname as a child was "Minty".
• She was a very religious woman having learned about the Bible from her mother.
• Harriet bought a house in Auburn, New York for her parents after helping them to escape from the south.
• Harriet married John Tubman in 1844. He was a free black man. She married again in 1869 to Nelson Davis.
• She usually worked the Underground Railroad in the winter months when the nights were longer and people spent more time indoors.
• There is a story that slaveholders offered a reward of $40,000 for the capture of Harriet Tubman. This is likely just a legend and not true.
• Harriet was very religious. When she led fugitives across the border she would exclaim "Glory to God and Jesus, too. One more soul is safe!"
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Back to Biography for Kids

Harriet Tubman

The debate to fix an outdated and incorrect Harriet Tubman historic marker

by John Lee

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

On Maryland's Eastern Shore, there is a historical marker that says Harriet Tubman freed 300 enslaved people, except she didn't. It also suggests she was born nearby, except she wasn't. Some historians say it's past time for Maryland to set the record straight on the woman known as Moses. From Member Station WYPR in Baltimore, John Lee reports.

JOHN LEE, BYLINE: The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Md., recently had a special guest - Tubman herself, portrayed by Millicent Sparks.

MILLICENT SPARKS: (As Harriet Tubman) I was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. I guides my peoples from slavery to freedom.

LEE: For more than 100 years, Tubman was credited with freeing 300 people. Maryland's historic marker honoring Tubman uses that number, but it's way off, according to Tubman biographer Kate Clifford Larson. She says the mistake originates from a book written in 1869.

KATE CLIFFORD LARSON: Sarah Bradford, who wrote the first biography, decided that - in her book, she says, Harriet doesn't remember how many people she rescued, but other people say she rescued 300 people in 19 trips. So it was manufactured way back.

LEE: And it stuck. Fast-forward to the mid-1960s. Tubman had been all but forgotten in Dorchester County, where she grew up. An Eastern Shore teenager wrote an article about her. It caught the eye of the Maryland Civil War Centennial Commission, which was looking for ways to mark the 100th anniversary, and up went the marker with the incorrect 300 number preserved in cast iron. Douglas Mitchell is a Tubman descendant.

DOUGLAS MITCHELL: I allow for a bit of inaccuracy and incompleteness because history's a living thing, and it's evolving.

LEE: That evolving history now puts at 70 the number of people Tubman led to freedom. That came from Larson's research for her 2003 Tubman biography, "Bound For The Promised Land." Larson says the lower number in no way diminishes Tubman's legacy of freeing enslaved people. In fact, she says it makes Tubman's story more personal.

CLIFFORD LARSON: Who are they? They were her family, the people she loved. So if we can tell that story, then people can see themselves. If you were in her position, who would you go rescue - strangers? No. You're going to go and rescue the people you love.

LEE: Larson says the old sign needs to be taken down and replaced with one that's accurate. Julie Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist for the state transportation department, says that should happen in a year or so. She says the state is working through a backlog of requests.

JULIE SCHABLITSKY: History has been, a lot of times, corrected. We do plan to take some of these signs down and replace them with more accurate information.

LEE: The Tubman marker also has her birth year wrong. It uses the outdated word slaves rather than enslaved, and it insinuates it's where she was born. Tubman was actually born more than 10 miles away. Douglas Mitchell says some people who live near the current marker don't want to give the birthplace up.

MITCHELL: People get emotionally attached to their narrative of history. The history is this, and that's the history that I'm going to go with, even when they're proven wrong.

LEE: Julie Schablitsky with the state transportation department says they are planning to put up a second marker at Tubman's birthplace. The original marker is on a farm where Tubman lived. Even with the inaccuracies, eastern shore historian Phil Hesser says that marker serves a purpose.

PHIL HESSER: It's a very good starting point for really understanding the dynamics of her story.

LEE: Hesser says the farmland there can serve as an exercise for people to think back to when Tubman lived there before she found her freedom. For NPR News, I'm John Lee reporting in Baltimore.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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Proposed underground railroad corridor would highlight harriet tubman's fight for freedom.

Apr 24, 2024 —

A proposed 500-mile Underground Railroad Corridor across New York would highlight the life of Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery in Maryland in 1849 and then returned on numerous occasions to help free more enslaved people.

Organizers of the effort want to establish a route that traverses 21 counties to teach, inspire and help boost tourism.

Karen Kuhl is a member of the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS), which is working on the project, and noted that besides using this proposed corridor to highlight Tubman’s fight for freedom, what Tubman fought for is still a relevant topic today.

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“She stood with the suffrage movements, demanding rights for women,” said Kuhl. “Her story continues, her struggle continues, her fight for freedom continues and her legacy is carried on by many individuals, who they see her as a North Star, trying to follow her examples and standing up for equal rights today.”

Kuhl said the proposed corridor could include a variety of locations, including parts of the Erie Canal, museums and hiking trails, with information along the way to talk about the efforts of Tubman and other abolitionists.

Kuhl added that the corridor could also boost tourism efforts around the state, including along the Erie Canal.

“When we go from Albany, across to Auburn, Geneva, Rochester, Lockport, Niagara Falls and Buffalo, a lot of that follows the route of the canalway,” said Kuhl, “so there’s a lot of additional outdoor product they can enjoy, and the canalway played an important role for freedom seekers.”

Kuhl said the proposed corridor could include a variety of venues, including museums, hiking rails and other spots where people could learn more about Harriet Tubman. She said the process for getting a state designation for the proposed Tubman Corridor is likely to take some time before there is final approval.

There was an informational session about the proposed Underground Railroad corridor on Monday at Legacy Drama House in Rochester.

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Juneteenth Digital Toolkit

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free.

This day came to be known as Juneteenth , now officially a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a time to celebrate, gather as a family, reflect on the past and look to the future.

Enjoy the Tastes, Sounds and Experiences of Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrates African American resilience and achievement, while aiding in the preservation of those historical narratives that promoted racial and personal advancement since Freedom Day. Join the museum’s Juneteenth celebration – spanning the entire month of June – and embrace the rich history of Freedom Day each week. 

Juneteenth and the Color Red

The Juneteenth 2023 Red List Notebook is among Juneteenth commemorative collection available in the museum store. 

Each year when my family celebrates Juneteenth, our flyers boldly request that each quest bring something "Red." We then add examples, like red soda pop, watermelon, apples, or even red beans. Folks bring these items without much thinking about their origin. In fact, the roots of the symbolic efficacy of the color red can be traced to West Africa, where it has been associated with strength, spirituality, life, and death. Furthermore, culinary historians, trace the color to certain foods that traveled to the Americas along with the Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, such as hibiscus and the kola nut. 

So, this year at Juneteenth, as you take a long swallow from a cool drink of hibiscus iced tea, or red punch, remember the ancestors who sacrificed, remember the blood shed in the struggle, remember the collective strength of people of the African diaspora, and finally remember the spirituality and transcendent joy that enabled us to overcome. ~  Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian

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On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. This day came to be known as #Juneteenth, now officially a federal holiday. Celebrate with @NMAAHC: nmaach.si.edu/Juneteenth

Do you know the story of #Juneteenth? Learn more and join in the celebration with @NMAAHC: nmaahc.si.edu/Juneteenth

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Discover Juneteenth resources to share with young children.

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Juneteenth: A Time of Celebration, Reflection

Join us in-person and online for our Juneteenth programming highlighting community, culture and freedom.  

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Press Play on History: Juneteenth

Connect songs to themes of the historical experience of African Americans and Juneteenth and create a playlist through this Learning Lab activity.

Juneteenth: Connecting the Historic to the Now

Scholars discuss the historical and current political significance of the holiday.

Explore More

As you celebrate Juneteenth this year, the museum offers additional resources to help you embrace the rich history of Freedom Day.

Juneteenth: Cause for Celebration

This 1925 film, recorded by the Rev. Solomon Sir Jones, captures a Juneteenth celebration in Beaumont, Texas. Learn more about Reconstruction, rights and retaliation by visiting our Searchable Museum.

Embrace a Rich History 

Watch museum videos that celebrate culture, family and freedom. 

We use the video player Able Player to provide captions and audio descriptions. Able Player performs best using web browsers Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. If you are using Safari as your browser, use the play button to continue the video after each audio description. We apologize for the inconvenience.

NMAAHC Oral History Specialist Kelly Navies talks about the history of Juneteenth.

Rochelle Rice sings "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

What is Juneteenth, and why is it important? - Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio

Juneteenth Reading List

Check out our museum's top picks and explore the books on our expert's must-read list — curated just for you. 

Titles for Younger Readers

A IS FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE A JOYFUL ABC BOOK

A IS FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE: A JOYFUL ABC BOOK Anna Forgerson Hindley and the National Museum of African American History and Culture This alphabet board book celebrates what makes us unique as individuals and connects us as humans. This lively and colorful book introduces young readers to 26 key traits they can explore and cultivate as they grow. The book supports understanding and development of each child’s healthy racial identity, the joy in human diversity and inclusion, a sense of justice, and children’s capacity to act for their own and others’ fair treatment.

Our Skin A First Conversation About Race

OUR SKIN: A FIRST CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli The premiere book in the First Conversations board book series, Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race, offers children and adults in their lives supportive examples for holding honest conversations about race and racism told in a read-aloud format. Backed by research in early childhood development, this vibrantly illustrated picture book equips readers with clear language, and historical context to learn about skin color, race, and racism and gives examples of ways young children can use their unique voices to stand for fairness.

Get Up Stand Up

GET UP, STAND UP Bob Marley and Cedella Marley This children’s book adaptation of the empowering Bob Marley lyrics, Get Up, Stand Up, encourages young readers to use their voices to stand up for themselves and others. Through the perspective of a young girl’s day at school, this lyrical story showcases how injustice can appear in children’s everyday lives and each child’s unique and collective power to fight against it.

Our Children Can Soar

OUR CHILDREN CAN SOAR Michelle Cook Our fight for racial justice is one that has been carried on by people for generations. Through beautiful illustrations, this rhythmically told picture book celebrates the diverse pursuits and accomplishments of Black leaders throughout history and showcases how each generation's work enables the following to reach new heights.

Freedom, We Sing

JUNETEENTH FOR MAZIE Floyd Cooper Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history. The day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth.

Juneteenth for Mazie

Ruth and the Green Book

RUTH AND THE GREEN BOOK Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss Ruth and the Green Book is the story of one Black family’s trip from Chicago to Alabama by car in the late 1940s. Along the way they encounter prejudice, but they also discover The Green Book, a real guide to accommodations which was published for decades to aid African American travelers as they faced prejudice on the roads across the country.

TAR BEACH Faith Ringgold Cassie Louise Lightfoot has a dream: to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on “tar beach,” the rooftop of her family’s Harlem apartment building, her dreams come true. The stars lift her up, and she flies over the city, claiming the buildings and the city as her own.

Love Twelve Miles Long

LOVE TWELVE MILES LONG Glenda Armand This story, inspired by the life of Fredrick Douglas, imagines a poignant bedtime conversation between a young Fredrick Douglas and his mother about her twelve-mile journey to see him. Through the book, readers follow the life of a family separated by slavery and explore questions about resilience, the injustice of slavery, and the hope and promise of freedom.  

ABCs of Black History

ABCs OF BLACK HISTORY Rio Cortez Letter by letter, celebrate a story of big ideas––P is for Power, S is for Science and Soul -- of significant moments––G is for Great Migration-- and of iconic figures––H is for Zora Neale Hurston, X is for Malcom X. In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.

Harriet Tubman Conductor on the Underground Railroad

HARRIET TUBMAN: CONDUCTOR ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Ann Petry Harriet Tubman was born a slave and dreamed of being free. She was willing to risk everything–including her own life–to see that dream come true. After her daring escape, Harriet became a conductor on the secret Underground Railroad, helping others make the dangerous journey to freedom.

Stamped (for kids_ Racism, Antiracism, and You

STAMPED (FOR KIDS): RACISM, ANTIRACISM, AND YOU. Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi Adapted from the groundbreaking bestseller Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, this book takes readers on a journey from present to past and back again. Kids will discover where racist ideas came from, identify how they impact America today, and meet those who have fought racism with antiracism. Along the way, they’ll learn how to identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their own lives.

Brown Girl Dreaming

BROWN GIRL DREAMING Jaqueline Woodson A memoir in verse about what it was like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s living with the remnants of Jim Crow and a growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.

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Facts about juneteenth.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s curator of women’s history Angela Tate and museum specialist and oral historian Kelly Navies provide history and insight on Juneteenth.

The Historical Background of Juneteenth:

​​​​​​​ Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian: “Throughout the war, Texas remained largely free of the presence of Union troops. A year after General Granger’s announcement, Texans celebrated the first Juneteenth. However, African Americans had to overcome many challenges in the years after learning of their ‘freedom.’ Many states, including Texas, passed stringent laws curtailing the movement and actions of the newly freed men and women. Those in power also attempted to thwart the observance of Juneteenth by denying large groups of African Americans access to land on which to celebrate. In response to this strategy, in 1872, Black Houstonians, under the leadership of Rev. Jack Yates, a formerly enslaved man, formed the Colored People and Emancipation Park Association to purchase a plot of land that could be used for Juneteenth celebrations. This plot of land became known as Emancipation Park and throughout the era of segregation it was the only public park open to African Americans in Houston, Texas. In other towns throughout the South, similar strategies were used to secure safe spaces for Juneteenth observance."

The Meaning of Juneteenth Through Social Justice Movements

Juneteenth gained popularity during the Civil Rights Movement with the increased emphasis on Black history and empowerment. At the end of the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign, held on the National Mall, there was a ‘Solidarity Day,’ held on Juneteenth. Many who attended had never heard of Juneteenth and subsequently took their new knowledge to their hometowns across the United States. The significance of Juneteenth is part of a continuum of moments where African Americans have advocated for their full participation in American citizenship and commanded the maintenance of the memory of our history and culture in the face of resistance and racism.

What is the significance of Juneteenth?

Angela Tate, museum curator of women’s history : “The holiday did not exist when Frederick Douglass delivered his stirring speech about Independence Day. By the turn of the twentieth century, Black leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois focused efforts on commemorating anniversaries of Emancipation Day (1913, 1933). Black History Month grew out of Negro History Week, which Carter G. Woodson founded February 7, 1926, to commemorate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Martin Luther King’s birthday was not made a federal holiday until 1983. The significance of Juneteenth is, thus, part of a continuum of moments where African Americans have advocated for their full participation in American citizenship and commanded the maintenance of the memory of our history and culture in the face of resistance and racism.”

How is Juneteenth celebrated?

Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian : “Juneteenth is celebrated in a variety of ways throughout the United States and world, but consistent themes are an emphasis on family, freedom, activism, and resilience. Most communities celebrate with a feast centered around a barbeque. Often there are historic-themed performances and poetry readings. You might also see African drumming and dancing. The color red is an important symbol of the sacrifices made in the past, and many people wear red and bring red side dishes to the feast, like red beans, watermelon, and red soda pop.”

Why is the day called Juneteenth?

Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian : “The holiday’s name Juneteenth is a combination of the month of June and the 19th day, representing the date in 1865 General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas with a force of almost 2000 troops to inform the enslaved African Americans in Texas that they were now “free.” June + 19 = Juneteenth.”

How has the holiday evolved over the years?

Angela Tate, museum curator of women’s history : “As with many things involving African American history and culture, Juneteenth is not without its own debates and detractors. Recent efforts to generate support for making it a national holiday have been met with resistance. Several Black Texans have been critical of how the state and Southern culture have been excised from the conversations and commemorations. Chaédria LaBouvier, the first Black curator at the Guggenheim Museum, tweeted in late 2020 about the lack of specificity when discussing Juneteenth and the Southern roots of African American culture: 

‘Histories, practices, etc that traceably originate or were developed as we currently iterate them in places that we are not living descendants of said history or ppl — we are doing the toxic, colonial thing to each other that has been done to us.’

“This sharp reminder of Juneteenth’s cultural roots is echoed in a letter to the editor sent to the Atlanta Daily World in 1983, when Texas State Representative Al Edwards reminded Atlanta readers that ‘Juneteenth celebrations originated here in Texas...In 1979 the 66th Legislature passed and the Governor signed my H.B. 1016 which going into effect next year made Emancipation Day an official state holiday.’ When digging even further into Black newspapers, the evidence of Texas being at the heart of Juneteenth is clear: newspaper articles from the first half of the twentieth century characterize it as a strictly Texas holiday, whereas in the second half of twentieth century, it has flourished in a variety of cities, with Los Angeles being the most prevalent city of celebration.

“This is no coincidence: California was the destination for African Americans from Texas and Louisiana in the 1940s-70s, undoubtedly drawn by the continuous sunshine and the similar ethnic populations (it was split amongst black, white, and brown, as opposed to the black and white binary in the rest of the South). However, even Black newspapers from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento reveal how often Juneteenth was merely an excuse to gather over food, drinks, and music. At one celebration held in 1988, the usual red soda and funk was swapped out for finger foods as guests listened to classical music! Later, in the early 2000s, Black leaders saw in Juneteenth a piece of the overall push for reparations and federal acknowledgement and redress for the harms of slavery and Jim Crow.”

What is the significance of the color red and Juneteenth?

Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian : Each year when my family celebrates Juneteenth, our flyers boldly request that each quest bring something “Red.” We then add examples, like red soda pop, watermelon, apples, or even red beans. Folks bring these items without much thinking about their origin. In fact, the roots of thesymbolic efficacy of the color Red can be traced to West Africa, where it has been associated with strength, spirituality, life, and death. Furthermore, culinary historians, trace the color to certain foods that traveled to the Americas along with the Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, such as hibiscus and the Kola nut. So, this year at Juneteenth, as you take a long swallow from a cool drink of hibiscus iced tea, or red punch, remember the ancestors who sacrificed, remember the blood shed in the struggle, remember the collective strength of people of the African diaspora, and finally remember the spirituality and transcendent joy that enabled us to overcome.

Test Your Knowledge: Crossword Answer Key

Savor the Flavors of Juneteenth

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The debate to fix an outdated and incorrect Harriet Tubman historic marker

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

On Maryland's Eastern Shore, there is a historical marker that says Harriet Tubman freed 300 enslaved people, except she didn't. It also suggests she was born nearby, except she wasn't. Some historians say it's past time for Maryland to set the record straight on the woman known as Moses. From Member Station WYPR in Baltimore, John Lee reports.

JOHN LEE, BYLINE: The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Md., recently had a special guest - Tubman herself, portrayed by Millicent Sparks.

MILLICENT SPARKS: (As Harriet Tubman) I was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. I guides my peoples from slavery to freedom.

LEE: For more than 100 years, Tubman was credited with freeing 300 people. Maryland's historic marker honoring Tubman uses that number, but it's way off, according to Tubman biographer Kate Clifford Larson. She says the mistake originates from a book written in 1869.

KATE CLIFFORD LARSON: Sarah Bradford, who wrote the first biography, decided that - in her book, she says, Harriet doesn't remember how many people she rescued, but other people say she rescued 300 people in 19 trips. So it was manufactured way back.

LEE: And it stuck. Fast-forward to the mid-1960s. Tubman had been all but forgotten in Dorchester County, where she grew up. An Eastern Shore teenager wrote an article about her. It caught the eye of the Maryland Civil War Centennial Commission, which was looking for ways to mark the 100th anniversary, and up went the marker with the incorrect 300 number preserved in cast iron. Douglas Mitchell is a Tubman descendant.

DOUGLAS MITCHELL: I allow for a bit of inaccuracy and incompleteness because history's a living thing, and it's evolving.

LEE: That evolving history now puts at 70 the number of people Tubman led to freedom. That came from Larson's research for her 2003 Tubman biography, "Bound For The Promised Land." Larson says the lower number in no way diminishes Tubman's legacy of freeing enslaved people. In fact, she says it makes Tubman's story more personal.

CLIFFORD LARSON: Who are they? They were her family, the people she loved. So if we can tell that story, then people can see themselves. If you were in her position, who would you go rescue - strangers? No. You're going to go and rescue the people you love.

LEE: Larson says the old sign needs to be taken down and replaced with one that's accurate. Julie Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist for the state transportation department, says that should happen in a year or so. She says the state is working through a backlog of requests.

JULIE SCHABLITSKY: History has been, a lot of times, corrected. We do plan to take some of these signs down and replace them with more accurate information.

LEE: The Tubman marker also has her birth year wrong. It uses the outdated word slaves rather than enslaved, and it insinuates it's where she was born. Tubman was actually born more than 10 miles away. Douglas Mitchell says some people who live near the current marker don't want to give the birthplace up.

MITCHELL: People get emotionally attached to their narrative of history. The history is this, and that's the history that I'm going to go with, even when they're proven wrong.

LEE: Julie Schablitsky with the state transportation department says they are planning to put up a second marker at Tubman's birthplace. The original marker is on a farm where Tubman lived. Even with the inaccuracies, eastern shore historian Phil Hesser says that marker serves a purpose.

PHIL HESSER: It's a very good starting point for really understanding the dynamics of her story.

LEE: Hesser says the farmland there can serve as an exercise for people to think back to when Tubman lived there before she found her freedom. For NPR News, I'm John Lee reporting in Baltimore.

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New Jersey monument honors Harriet Tubman

Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras J. Baraka, First Lady Tammy Murphy and other community leaders unveiled a 25-foot monument honoring abolitionist  Harriet Tubman . The monument is located in a square that bears her name at Audible Innovation Cathedral. Called " Shadow of a Face ," the monument was designed by Nina Cooke John and features an audio installation with stories of Tubman's life narrated by singer, actor and Newark native Queen Latifah.

The memorial replaced a controversial Christopher Columbus statue that was removed in June 2020, and marks the completion of a two-year project inspired by the iconic image of Tubman. Through this monument, visitors are encouraged to engage with history and connect with its legacy.

The City of Newark shared photos of the unveiling on Facebook.

"The monument stands in downtown Newark at the intersection of Washington and Broad Streets," the city wrote in the post. "Come visit, take photos, and revel in the rich history of Harriet Tubman and Newark's role in the Underground Railroad."

The monument features a steel outline of Tubman's frame inside a circular wall that visitors can enter to read text and listen to audio stories about  Tubman's life  and the city's history of Black liberation. Tubman's face is engraved outside the stone circle, which also includes ceramic mosaic tiles created by Newark residents.

Michele Jones Galvin, Tubman's great-great-great-grandniece, said she was delighted with the memorial.

"In the spirit of Harriet Tubman, the monument…will memorialize her heroism, will inspire future generations to take action when they see injustice and will instill the value of service to the most vulnerable in our society,"  Galvin told NJ.com .

Mayor Baraka added that this monument was part of their response to George Floyd's murder.

"People all around the country pulling down statues that represented a history that was oppressive, we wanted to take it a step further,"  Baraka told NJ.com . "We wanted to build something. And as a result of that, this is what we got."

This story was originally published by Tricia Goss on  simplemost.com .

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