“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more, if only I knew they were slaves,” ~Harriett Tubman
When Harriet Tubman helped lead the slaves across the underground railroad to freedom, I would imagine the furthest thing from her mind was being a hero. But that’s exactly who she is to Tillage and myself.
Since as long as I can remember, my heart’s beat hard for freedom. Growing up in Cincinnati, OH, the Ohio River presented a constant, glaring reminder, that I live on the right side of freedom. Ohio is the southernmost northern state. The Ohio River served as the precipice for the underground railroad. For once slaves were finally guided to the other side of the of this waterway, they could declare in their hearts and aloud that they were indeed, “Free at last!”
Harriet was a guide, and now a hero and inspiration to me and so many others. Unfortunately, slavery is still pervasive today, across the globe, and right here in the US. It takes place in multiple forms, from slave labor to human trafficking, and often the two are intertwined. Let’s take a look at some incredible facts about Harriet Tubman’s life, to inspire us in the movement to fight modern slavery.
Harriet Tubman Facts
Abolitionist, Spy, Suffragette, Nurse, Former Slave who worked tirelessly to free the enslaved via the underground railroad
- She was born into slavery in Eastern Maryland between 1820-1821
- She was hit by a 2-pound weight by an overseer aimed at a runaway slaved, cracking her skull, leading to seizures and other health issues the rest of her life
- She returned to Maryland in 1850 to be a “conductor” of the underground railroad, compelled by her niece being auctioned off, and rescuing 70 slaves in her life, with zero failed attempts!
- When she tried to escape slavery herself, she first tried multiple disguises, including pretending to read the newspaper, though she was illiterate; using spirituals/songs as code to her followers
- She joined the Union as a nurse but also a scout and spy behind enemy lines
- Under General Montgomery, she assisted in the Combahee Ferry raid in South Carolina, that rescued over 700 slaves at once!
- After the war, she fell prey to a gold smuggling con because her finances were so dire.
- Despite her poverty, she was a high-profile woman who spoke publicly in DC and New York on behalf of the women’s suffrage movement.
- She finally overcame her fear of surgery, and had brain surgery in the 1890’s to alleviate her constant headaches she’d suffered from since her skull fracture as a child
- She died March 10, 1913 in the rest home she founded.
Taken from this article http://bit.ly/2ZsVIGJ
How can you and I help rescue today's slaves? The first step is to know and understand they still exist.