Perhaps one of the best-known figures of black history is Harriet Tubman, the most famous and prominent “conductor” of the Underground Railroad in the 19th century, between 1849 and 1862. Tubman is a true hero in every sense of the word. Whether it was helping slaves escape or risking her life providing military intelligence in her role as a Union spy in the Civil War, the heroic exploits of Tubman warrant praise.
Historical records show that Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland in 1822. Born into slavery, she developed a strong sense of religion early on in life. This was primarily because Tubman’s owner had a son who was a Methodist minister “whose services Tubman’s family attended” and greatly influenced her faith.
Her faith was instrumental in her daily life at a young age but was strengthened after a severe head injury she sustained while a slave. Tubman claimed that after the injury, she began having visions and premonitions and hearing God’s voice — a divine beacon of hope that inspired her to free slaves through the Underground Railroad.
Tubman escaped from slavery in 1849 and found her way to Philadelphia through the existing network of abolitionists known as the Underground Railroad. While in Philadelphia, Tubman worked as a housekeeper in Philadelphia before pivoting careers and becoming a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. Her first “trips” involved rescuing her family members from slavery, including her niece and cousins.
In 1850, the Democratic-controlled Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. One of the worst pieces of legislation that Democrats ever passed in the country mandated that all escaped slaves must be returned to their owners, even if they were discovered to be living in free states. This made Tubman’s challenging job of liberation even more difficult. As a result, Tubman helped extend the Underground Railroad to Canada, where the Fugitive Slave Act had no jurisdiction.
Historical accounts differ on the exact number of slaves Tubman freed. Some have cited figures of around 70 people, while others declare it was closer to 300. But her acts of heroism did not stop there; Tubman also played an integral role in the Civil War.
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In 1863, Tubman turned in her conductor hat for spy gear. She was named the head of a vital “espionage and scout network for the Union Army” during the war. Tubman provided critical details on Confederate troop movements and supply routes as part of her responsibilities. Her intelligence proved pivotal in numerous clashes between Union and Confederate forces.
Harriet Tubman was unquestionably a black history hero and an American hero. She repeatedly risked her life to save the lives of others. Her life will be honored, and Tubman will be immortalized in the upcoming years by having her face on a new version of the $20 bill.
