Harriet Tubman was a very important person during the era of Civil Rights. She was born into slavery in 1819 or 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her full name is Araminta Harriet Ross She was nicknamed Minty. Harriet had Narcolepsy or sleeping spells. She could fall asleep any time and any place. This was caused by a severe blow to the head caused by a 2-pound weight thrown at another slave, but it hit Harriet in the head when she was about 12 years old. She also endured seizures, and severe headaches as a result of the injury. Harriet believed that her hair, which she termed “stood out like a bushel basket” might have saved her life. After her accident, she started having dreams, which she believed to be an indication from …show more content…
She never had any children. She freed herself from slavery to Philadelphia in 1851 at the age of 27 using the system now known as the Underground Railroad. This railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved Africans to escape to Free states with the aid of abolitionists. Once she was free Harriet returned to Maryland rescue other members of her family. Instead of staying a free slave, she made it a mission to rescue her family and others living in slavery. Tubman received a warning that her niece was going to be sold, along with her two young children. Kessiah’s (Harriet’s niece) husband, a free black man named John Bowley, made the winning bid for his wife. Harriet then helped the entire family make the journey to Philadelphia. This would begin the first of many trips by Tubman, who earned the nickname “Moses” for her leadership by William Lloyd Garrison. Over time, she was able to guide her parents, several siblings and about 60 others to freedom. One family member who declined to make the journey was Harriet’s husband, who decided to stay in Maryland with his new …show more content…
Tubman shared his goals and tolerated his methods. She claimed to have a vision of Brown before they met. When Brown began recruiting supporters for an attack on slaveholders at Harper’s Ferry, he turned to who he coined “General Tubman” for help. She remained active during the Civil War. Working as a Union Army cook, nurse, armed scout and spy Harriet guided the Combahee River Raid, which liberated more than 700 slaves in S.C. She usually worked during the winter months to avoid being seen and on Saturday night because newspapers would publish runaway notices on Monday morning. Tubman claimed that the government owed her $966 for her services as a scout which would be $30 a month. It took her 34 years to get veteran’s pension, which resulted in $20 a