Harriet Tubman: Overcoming Epilepsy
When asked about Harriet Tubman, many people think about an Underground Railroad conductor helping others to escape slavery (Larson). However, some people have not heard of her other feats, one of which was attempting to protect a fellow slave that left Tubman with a common brain condition (Bender 11). A bold woman, Tubman led a very demanding, yet influential, life through a pressing medical condition called epilepsy.
With this in mind, epilepsy is a condition causing various types of seizures. A seizure is caused by a temporary disruption in the messages passing through the brain (Bender 10), and can induce a sudden temporary transformation in one’s awareness, movement, or behavior (8). These transformations include, but are not limited to, smelling nonexisting scents, having unusual sensations, or experiencing convulsions (Emanuele 9). In
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She helped raise money for the Freedmen’s Bureau, an organization created to provide relief to millions of freed slaves (Larson). Near the end of her life, Tubman settled in Auburn, New York to care for her freed elderly parents, which later advanced into caring for several elderly African Americans. In time, Tubman established the Harriet Tubman Home for Indigent Aged Negroes. This home operated many years into the twentieth century, surpassing Tubman’s death (Hent 35).
Moreover, Tubman was not forgotten by this nation after her passing. Following her death in 1913 (Larson), the town of Auburn flew its flags at half-mast and heard speakers praising Tubman’s achievements (McDonough 101). A few decades later, the National Council of Negro Women successfully petitioned for a Liberty ship to be named in honor of her. Thereafter, the launching of the S.S. Harriet Tubman took place in 1944. The United States Postal Service also commemorated Tubman in issuing their first Black Heritage Series stamp in 1978