Marius De Colle
Mr. Jonathan Hyon
Writing 7B
3/9/23
The Legacy of Harriet Tubman There have been numerous influential figures in the past, such as Harriet Tubman and Cesar Chavez who have both fought for the freedom of all people, of any race. These are two very influential people that are the most important to today's society. I believe that Harriet Tubman is the most influential figure in today's fight for human rights because she is still renowned today, she freed many people from being forced into human labor, and she was one of the first influential figures that started the discrimination movement. One of the reasons that Harriet Tubman is still renowned today is that she was one of the first and bravest leaders in the discrimination
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“She led dozens of enslaved people to freedom in the North along the route of the Underground Railroad—an elaborate secret network of safe houses organized for that purpose” (Britannica, 2023). Harriet Tubman was one of the most renowned conductors of the Underground Railroad because of how she saved over 70 people from the plantations in Maryland, where she had once been one of the slaves. The people in the time of Harriet Tubman considered her the “Moses of her people.” This was the story where Moses freed the Israelites from Egypt and led them across the Red Sea. In comparison to Harriet Tubman is that she helped many enslaved African Americans across the Underground Railroad to their freedom in the North. The comparison between Harriet Tubman and Moses has made her a lot more relevant today as the Bible and the story of Moses is very well-known topics. Lastly, Tubman has received many rewards to this day, even …show more content…
One story about Harriet Tubman that is not very well known is that she sacrificed herself and her life to let an Afro-American boy escape from the Brodas plantation on Christmas Day. From that day on Tubman developed narcolepsy because a two-pound weight was hurled at her forehead as it missed the African American boy. “Harriet moved in front of the doorway, and stood there, blocking it. The overseer, startled by this sudden obstructing body, planted squarely in the doorway, turned away from the door, picked up a two-pound weight from the counter, and hurled it at the fleeing slave. The weight missed the slave. It struck Harriet in the forehead, leaving a great open gash there” (Petry 63). Harriet sacrificed her life knowing that she would be punished for her actions of protecting another one of the slaves. In her time as a conductor of the Underground Railroad Tubman rescued over 300 people from the plantations in the South. And as she said proudly to Fredrick Douglas “never lost a single passenger.” As well in her 19 trips to the south Tubman brought back more than 15 people on all of her trips, she had to keep them all quiet and teach them how to not make noise, so that they would stay in concealment. She also led them many miles up North from the South, from Maryland to Pennsylvania. Harriet Tubman saved the lives of many enslaved African Americans that