Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was an influential figure in both, the Underground Railroad and multiple anti-slavery movements. Clearly defined, the Underground Railroad was the series of pathways and stations used by runaways in their escape to freedom (Schraff 24). The Railroad provided houses, buildings, and ways of travel for many slaves desiring for deliverance (Schraff 24). Harriet Tubman’s birth name was Araminta Ross, which she later changed to Harriet (americancivilwar.com). Around the year 1820, she was born in Bucktown in Dorchester County, Maryland, which was about 100 miles south of the free states (Schraff 14). Tubman’s early life, journey to freedom, service in the Civil War, and her consistent rescues for her friends and family greatly impacted the Underground Railroad and the Civil War itself. Araminta Ross was born as the sixth of eleven children in the Ross family (Schraff 14). Her parents, Harriet and Benjamin Ross, lived on separate plantations for many years (americancivilwar.com). Their slave owners, the Brodas, had nine children that the Ross family was obligated to take care of (Schraff 15). Until Araminta was about five years old, she experienced all of the childhood that she would ever know (Schraff 15). This “childhood” included sleeping on a straw mat and playing in the forest with different animals (Schraff 15). Once Araminta Ross was about five or six years old, she became a household servant (pbs.org). At age six, she was sold to James Cook where she was chosen to be the slave that wound the yarn (Schraff 16). This job, along with the living conditions at the Cooks’ house, made young Araminta sneeze and become ill (Schraff 16). She was forced to sleep on the kitchen floor and eat table scraps like a family dog (Schraff 16). Later that same year, Araminta was sent back to the Brodas’ plantation very unhealthy (Schraff 17). Quickly, her mother, Harriet, nursed her back to health (Schraff 17). At about seven years old, Araminta