A Resilient Journey: Harriet Tubman – From Unfair Treatment to Heroic Liberation

Introduction:

Harriet Tubman was a hero, leader, brave individual woman, and determined hard worker. Harriet was a person who was treated unfairly, with little disrespect, and put under horrible conditions. She faced many battles growing up. Which turned her to be the woman she became and is remembered as in today’s world. All these things will never be forgotten and untold.

From Araminta Ross to Harriet Tubman: A Personal Evolution:

Harriet Tubman was not always her name. Harriet was first known as Araminta Ross as a young child. She was born in Dorchester, Maryland, in 1820. Her parents were named Harriet Ross and Benjamin Ross, which is where she got the name Harriet from her mother. She took her mother’s name as she started growing up and getting older. Sadly, she was separated from her parents. Her father was owned by a white slave owner named Anthony Thomson, and her mother was owned by a white slave owner named Mary Pattison Brodess. Harriet was owned by a man named Edward Rodgers.

Harriet’s owner was absolutely cruel and abusive to her. He gave her a head injury that ended up changing her whole life as she expected. One day, her owner abused her so badly that she hit her head. This caused her to suffer horrible conditions, such as seizures and vision problems, that she would have to live with for the rest of her life. Even though she had these horrible issues, Harriet did not let that stop her from doing what she knew was right. Harriet still worked. She had many jobs. She worked as a cook, laundress, and scrubwoman in Philadelphia and Cape May, New Jersey.

Legacy of Liberation: Honoring Harriet Tubman’s Impact:

Later on, in the year 1848, Harriet escaped slavery. With her being able to escape slavery, she decided to help others escape, too. Her first mission was to help rescue her sister and two children. After rescuing her sister and children, Harriet started helping other former slaves. In the 1850’s Harriet made over nine trips to lead over 180 slaves to freedom. Most of them were relatives and friends from plantations near Cambridge. Sadly, Harriet died on March 10, 1913, in Auburn, New York, from pneumonia. She died at the age of 91 years old.

Conclusion:

All of these things from Harriet’s past history show that she was a strong individual woman. Also, she’s been through so much that anybody can hardly imagine being through. There is so much more about Harriet that can be learned to better understand her life and how she came to help abolitionists. The fact that she risked her life to save many other lives is very encouraging and inspirational. Harriet was also faithful through her journey and years of being a female slave. Not many can say that about people today because many would have given up. That really shows inspiration.

References:

1. Dorchester County Historical Society. (n.d.). Harriet Tubman: A Brief Biography. https://www.harriettubmanbyway.org/harriet-tubman-biography/
2. National Park Service. (n.d.). Harriet Tubman Biography. Underground Railroad. https://www.nps.gov/people/harriet-tubman.htm
3. Larson, K. (2004). Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. Ballantine Books.
4. Brundage, W. F. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford Handbook of African American Slavery. Oxford University Press.
5. Lowry, L. S. (2008). Harriet Tubman: Imagining a Life. Anchor.
6. Clinton, C., & Okenwa, L. (Eds.). (2017). Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom and the Courage to Act. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
7. Humez, J. M. (2018). Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Stories. University of Wisconsin Press.