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| Harriet
Tubman |
February
2003
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 Known
as "Moses," after the biblical hero who delivered
the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, Harriet Tubman was
the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad. Born
into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman fled to
Pennsylvania in 1849. After freeing herself from slavery, this
abolitionist returned to Maryland and rescued members of her
family and others. It is believed that she made 19 trips into
the South and, over a period of ten years, conducted approximately
300 people to freedom in the North without ever losing any
of her charges.
Her
formula for success was quite simple: although she frequently
changed her routes leading to the North, Ms. Tubman always
began the escapes on Saturday nights. This was significant
for two reasons. First, slaves were often not required to work
on Sunday. Therefore, their owners might not notice their absence
until Monday morning. Secondly, newspapers would not be able
to report runaway slaves until the beginning of the week. These
two facts often gave Tubman and the escapees enough time to
get a head start to their destination in the free states.
During
the American Civil War, Tubman moved to South Carolina where
she served as a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army. She
also helped prepare food for the 54th Massachusetts Regiment,
a heroic band of African-American soldiers who were known as
the "Glory Brigade" after the fierce battle at Fort
Wagner in 1863. She was never paid for her services, but she
received an official commendation for her war effort.
Next: William
Still
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