How Did Harriet Tubman Impact Society

What would America be like today if it had not been for Civil Rights activists like Harriet Tubman? Would people of color and people of Caucasian descent even be allowed to go to the same schools? Activists like Tubman are the backbone to America’s society and have affected how its people live today. Tubman had a huge impact on society because she was the conductor of the Underground Railroad and set a great example for other slaves during her time. Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, Maryland in 1820. She was born with the name of Araminta Ross and later changed her name to Harriet after her mother. As a child she had quite a few masters and worked as a house servant at only 5 and 6 years old. Tubman married Nelson Davis and later

After escaping slavery herself, during the 1850’s she went back and forth between the free North and antebellum South leading more than 300 enslaved people to northern freedom (Donnelly). Tubman was even nicknamed “Moses” according to Owen Edwards, because like Moses she too led people from slavery. Books such as Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People by Sarah Hopkins Bradford were published in 1886 to recount Tubman’s life and impact on society (Peterson). Other books were also written to describe her courage and bravery during her time of conducting the Underground Railroad. Not only did Harriet Tubman free lives, she touched others in a way that gave them a desire to inform people about her lasting impact as

However, Tubman was a brave woman who took a stand and set a good example for many during her time. She was a strong abolitionist who attended anti-slavery meetings and worked closely with other abolitionists like Thomas Garrett, a Quaker, to organize Underground Railroad routes and expeditions (Clark). Many were hesitant back then to take action like Tubman did because they were afraid of the awful things that would happen to them if they were to be caught and returned to their owners. Others alike would embark on the journey led by Tubman and get a gun held to their head by the Conductor if they had the slightest uncertainty about continuing. Some could argue that her actions were too violent and not appropriate for a suitable leader, but of course Tubman only did so for each passenger’s and her own protection. Unlike these many she had to take action against, Tubman had a brave character. When she was still enslaved and just a little girl around the age of seven, she escaped her plantations three times. The bravery though did not end there. Once as a child she took a blow to the head by a slave owner while trying to block a weight from striking a friend (Edwards). That courage from when she was young obviously stayed with her through her years. “Tubman even gave assistance to the Union Army a few times and went on scouting missions in enemy territory” (Clark). Though