Life of Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was believed to be born in 1820 the place of birth is believed to be in born in Dorchester County, Maryland. No one knows the exact month or day of her birth because they did not keep careful records of slave’s births. Harriet herself, did not know the day of her birth, she did not even know how old she was. Harriet Tubman’s name at birth was Araminta Ross. She died the 10th of March in 1913.
Childhood
Harriet Tubman was one of eleven children of Harriet and Benjamin Ross. When she was still a child she was rented out as a nursemaid. That meant that she would have to stay up all night beside the cradle of the baby so that it would not wake the master and his wife. If she went to sleep on duty the babies’ mother would whip her. As a child, she was determined to get her freedom. One time a slave went to the store without permission, when he got back, his owner wanted to punish him and he ask Harriet to help him. She refused. The slave started to run off, so the master picked up a two pound weight and through it at him but he missed and hit Harriet instead. It nearly crushed her skull and she was unconscious for days. As a result of her injury she had seizures, spells of hypersomnia, headaches, powerful visionary and dream activity.
Marriage and her escape
She married a free slave named John Tubman and she took his last name. And not only did she change her last name when she got married she also changed her first to Harriet taking her mothers name. In 1849, Harriet became ill so her owner tried to sell her. As the people came to look at her to see if they wanted to buy her, she prayed that her master heart would be changed that way it would not split up her family. When she realized that her masters heart was not changing she quickly changed her prayers to, "Oh Lord, if you ain't never going to change that man's heart, kill him, Lord, and take him out of the way." A week later he died. In 1849 Harriet decided to escape, her husband would not come with them. So she and her brothers escaped and followed the North Star. Her brothers became scared and turned back but Harriet was determined to get her freedom. She found herself in Philadelphia where she found work as a housemaid, she saved her money so that she could return to free many more slaves.
Helping the slaves
She rescued lots of slaves and if any of them wanted to turn around she would pull out her gun and say "You'll be free or die a slave!" She helped three hundred slaves to freedom. She guided all her slaves to safety through the Underground Railroad. As Tubman herself said, "On my Underground Railroad I [never] run my train off [the] track [and] I never [lost] a passenger."
Civil War
During the Civil War she was a Union spy, cook and nurse. She was the first woman to lead an army. She saved many lives in the war. During the Civil War Harriet went on a gun ship. As they went up the river, Harriet looked at the plantation and she noticed that all the slaves hid in the bushes. When they saw the ship but do to a mysterious telegraph that was sent around that read something like Lincoln’s ships have come to set you free. The slaves started coming from all roads to get to the ship. When Harriet and the captain saw this, they sent the small boats to bring the slaves to the ship. When the boats were full, the slaves would not let the boat go to the ship for fear that they would be left behind. So the captain yelled to Harriet and told her "Moses, you’ll have to give’em a song." And she sang this,
"Of all the whole creation in the east or in the west, the glorious Yankee nation is greatest and the best. Come along! Come along! Don’t be alarmed Uncle Sam is rich enough to give you all a farm."
At the end of each verse the Negroes in their enthusiasm would throw up their hands and shout "Glory!" and at that opportunity the boats push off. She continued this until all the Negroes were safely aboard the ship.
I admire so many things about her. I like how she was true to her beliefs. I hope that I can be as determined as she is. I hope that if I ever get in a situation like she did, where I would have to put my life on the line for my country or for someone else, that I will be willing to do so. I learned so many things from her. The thing that I learned the most is that you can do what ever you want to, no matter what circumstance you are in.