A lot of people risk their lives every day, mostly for a job or random acts of bravery. But very few have risked their lives, like Harriet Tubman. Born as Araminta Ross in 1822 to slaves, Minty eventually married John Tubman. Taking her mother’s name and her husband’s last name, Harriet Tubman was born. After taking the opportunity to run away when her master died, Tubman devoted the rest of her life to helping everyone she could. She worked as a spy during the Civil War, worked as a nurse in the same war, and spent the last 48 years of her life taking care of the ill, blind, and old. However, her most important achievement is the work she did on the Underground Railroad, because she saved a lot of people, her commitment to the Underground …show more content…
It was her job to escort these slaves. During her time with the UGRR, she saved at least 38 lives. Document B. There was no record being kept, but at least 38. That may not be a lot compared to her other jobs, but when factoring in the fact that she was saving these people from slaving their lives away picking cotton, it doesn’t hurt to give credit where credit is due. Secondly, it is impossible to ignore her commitment to the UGRR. In the decade that she was with the UGRR, she made at least 8 trips to the south to rescue slaves. Document B. Each trip was about 337.5 miles each way, 675 miles for one trip. In total, that’s about 5,300 miles she had to walk. Document A: Just to free some slaves and their families. That's almost as much as walking to the west coast from the east, then turning around and walking back. Finally, Tubman’s journey was perilous for everyone involved. Punishments were harsh for slaves who were caught …show more content…
any moment, she could have been captured and killed. But she kept going, too. Now that's a dedication. All in all, the UGRR was a very important part of Harriet Tubman’s story because she saved a lot of people, her commitment to the UGRR, and because the journeys were perilous. Some people think that her greatest achievement is the work she did as a spy, but that’s not true. They say that, Firstly because she saved a lot of people in one night. On the morning of June 2, 1863 she and others of the 54th Massachusetts Black Regiment rescued 800 slaves via gunboats (Document C). While yes it is a lot of people, it is severely less risky than the UGRR. The slave owners weren't awake yet, only the slaves, meaning there was little to no risk of being caught and killed. Secondly, she still had to work around the fugitive slave laws (Document C). However, that is untrue. they would be reported or stopped by someone if they were a civilian, but when its armed U.S. military men rescuing slaves, that tends to change things a bit. Thirdly, she managed to get about 100 people to join the army after the raid, without being paid (Document