Harriet Tubman and the Life of a Runaway Slave Harriet Tubman helped free over 300 slaves within 19 trips. Harriet Tubman was also given the nickname “Moses” because she led the slaves in the south to freedom, (Peterson, 2). Harriet was born a slave and when her master died, she overheard that she was being sold to the south, so she decided to escape, (McCabe, 1). Each one of her trips back to the south rescued more and more people every time. Harriet Tubman saved the slaves by using stations and multiple trips but, sometimes people were caught in the underground railroad. Runaway slaves stayed in stations to hide in during the day. There were stations marked all over throughout the Underground Railroad. Stationmasters, provided food, shelter, and money for the slaves they were hiding, (Gonzalez, 2). Shops and churches could be used as stations and that’s where the runaways would get some food, (Bial, 10). Conductors were the leaders of the trail and they helped guide the slaves to a station during the night. Sometimes it wasn’t safe for the slaves to leave the house they were hiding in so they would be there for weeks at a time. Stations helped keep the slaves alive on …show more content…
Tubman started her first trip in 1849, (Peterson, 2) . She made it her mission to save as many slaves as possible. Harriet Tubman was also the first American to ever run the Underground Railroad. On the journey, slaves were referred as “Passengers.” Passengers would follow the North Star at night directing them to the free states. Thomas Garrett, another conductor on the Underground Railroad also helped slaves in the south get freedom. He assisted about 2700 slaves and they all made it to the free states, (McCabe, 2). Harriet Tubman made around 2 trips every year after she escaped. “Rather than remaining in the safety of the North, Tubman made it her mission to rescue her family and others living in slavery,”