Discrimination and slavery has been filled by United States nation with in the mid nineteenth century that has caused an impact in society today. African Americans were victimized and seen as “property,” not human beings, which has left for African-Americans to be persecuted because of their color. Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist, who was born as a slave was no stranger to the harsh reality of slavery and the abuse that goes along with that. Harriet Tubman’s childhood involved working as a house servant and later on in the cotton fields. With her fear of being sold to another and her family being further severed, Tubman decided to escape for a better life. Harriet Tubman spent her life trying to save others from slavery, becoming one of the most famous women of her time, who was able to influence the abolition of slavery and affect the lives of many African Americans. Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in the North in 1849 to become the most influential ‘director” for the Underground Railroad. She risked her own life to lead hundreds of family members and other slaves from the plantation system to freedom towards hidden safe houses. This being said, this took a lot of courage from her own strength to take up the courage and challenge a system that has been embedded to the society that African-Americans were meaningless during the 19th century.
Harriet Tubman’s begins to suffer the pain her family has endured and begins to understand that she must be the one to lead her people out of slavery. Through Harriet Tubman’s witnessing her family struggles and her injury on her head from her master, she begins to say “Why should things be? ‘ Is there no deliverance for my people?” 1. As Tubman began to realize what horrible conditions she was, she began to question society that kept her up at night. Harriet tubman wanted to leave to go to the North with her brothers, but they eventually decided not to continue. She sang to them and sings, “ When dat are ole chariot comes[.] I’m gwine to be lebe you, I’m boun’ for de promised land, [f]rien’s, I’m gwine to lebe you.” 1 Harriet illustrates the the community-building power of the spiritual and social significance to her faith of leaving the South to go the North. Her song reaffirms her place in the slave community, even as she declares her intention to leave it, and at the same time expresses the double faith in salvation that will sustain her on her way. Tubman begins her journey to the North and puts all her faith in Lord, to guide and protect her on this long journey she will have to endure alone. Tubman felt free but lonely and sad that her friends were still in bondage, never to know what their fate will be. Tubman believes she was free, and they should be free also. She would make a home for them in the North 1. Tubman’s bravery to travel was huge for someone born as a slave, but her bravery expanded when she decided that she can’t be free alone, she must bring other fugitives to the North to be free. Tubman begins her work the Underground Railroad, in which slavery began to dominate in the national political debate. According to Jean Humez’s book, Harriet Tubman : The Life and the Life Stories, explains that Harriet came across a man named Thomas Garrett. Thomas, a white man, operated the Underground Railroad and maintained close connection with a interracial fugitive aid group. In Jean’s book, she explains that the “…sources agree that once in Philadelphia …. [she may] begin to formulate a plan to return south to guide other family members to freedom.”
2 Years later, Tubman collect all her wages she has earned and went back to the North and appeared at the plantations at night to find a body of fugitives ready to be delivered to another plantation. That night she directed them to the North by night, hiking the forests, hiding by day keeping them safe for a better future. Due to most of her trips would be during the winter, it was often hard for slaves to survive the cold. Lack of food and water caused a great amount of difficulty. The travel to the North was tough, around this time the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act was passed. It stipulated that it was illegal for any citizen to assist an escaped slave and demanded that if an escaped slave was sighted, he or she should be apprehended and turned in to the authorities for deportation back to the ‘rightful’ owner down south. Thus the Underground Railroad tighten security. It created a code to make things more secret. Harriet Tubman continued to travel to the South and bring as many fugitives and family members out of their suffering to have freedom. She put her life on the line for slaves who wanted freedom and became the the “Moses” of their people. Throughout all her trips she never once was captured and never failed to deliver her people out of slavery. By her confidence of going back and forth showed how much faith she had in God that He will protect her in every trip she encountered. Harriet Tubman made a name for herself that made others realize how much courage she had in her to fight the battle of slavery. Through Harriet Tubman’s faith she was able accomplishments of freeing the slaves.
Determined, brave, strong, confident, and courageous are all qualities that Harriet Tubman does possess and that fit my definition of a hero. She risked her life 19 times to help others and make their lives better. Harriet doesn’t let anyone or anything stand in her way of doing whats right, which is a very heroic quality. Even though at all times she is in slave country or is escorting slaves to the north she is in life threatening danger, she does not let timidity hold her back. Harriet’s perseverance is what makes her a remarkable woman who is a hero to people across America. Even though her life was in danger everyday, she was determined to make other people’s lives better. She showed America that women can make a difference in the lives of others and that the color of your skin doesn’t matter. Harriet Tubman, a ‘conductor’ of the Underground Railroad, was one of the most significant women in history. She worked persistently to secure a brighter future for her community rather than just herself.
