Harriet Tubman
The Underground Railroad was a network of safe homes where runaways could stay in in their path to freedom. However, since escaping from slavery was a life-or-death-or-punishment kind of of thing, there had to be many of them, and they had to be out of attention from others in order for the slave to escape without interference, and so the people sheltering the slave wouldn't get caught. But since sometimes that was not the case, and houses were too far away and directions to get from one to the other were to complex for someone running away to go without getting lost, there were people called "conductors" who knew the ways well and could safely guide the people to their freedom. One of the most famous and well-noted of these was Harriet Tubman, a free person herself. She had saved herself, and had gone back to save her family.
Harriet didn't want to enjoy the freedom just by herself, so she went back many times, risking her life and those of others. She saved over 300 people from the wraths of slavery. She ran away herself in 1849 because she did not want to be sold to another possibly cruel master. She was helped by a white woman. She followed the north star and got to Pennsylvania, and then finally to Philadelphia. Harriet found work, and saved her money, and the next year, she went back to Maryland and saved her sister and her sister's two children to freedom. She then went South again for her brother and 2 other men, and went another time again to save her husband, but found him with another woman. She decided to take other people looking for freedom.
When Tubman was younger, within the ages of being a teenager, she suffered a blow to the head by her overseer. He through a two pound wait at her, and hit her on the head. She never fully recovered, and often suffered periods of time where she fell into a deep sleep. Luckily throughout her life this didn't affect her much while saving slaves.
In 1856, Tubman's capture would have been worth $40,000. She overheard 2 men reading the poster, which said that she was illiterate. To prove them wrong, Tubman grabbed a book and pretended to read; that was enough to fool them. Throughout her life, Tubman made 19 trips, and one especially dangerous one, saving her 70-something-year old parents. Her nickname "Moses" served her well, for though she didn't save many, she risked her life and inspired others to help and do the same.
Harriet didn't want to enjoy the freedom just by herself, so she went back many times, risking her life and those of others. She saved over 300 people from the wraths of slavery. She ran away herself in 1849 because she did not want to be sold to another possibly cruel master. She was helped by a white woman. She followed the north star and got to Pennsylvania, and then finally to Philadelphia. Harriet found work, and saved her money, and the next year, she went back to Maryland and saved her sister and her sister's two children to freedom. She then went South again for her brother and 2 other men, and went another time again to save her husband, but found him with another woman. She decided to take other people looking for freedom.
When Tubman was younger, within the ages of being a teenager, she suffered a blow to the head by her overseer. He through a two pound wait at her, and hit her on the head. She never fully recovered, and often suffered periods of time where she fell into a deep sleep. Luckily throughout her life this didn't affect her much while saving slaves.
In 1856, Tubman's capture would have been worth $40,000. She overheard 2 men reading the poster, which said that she was illiterate. To prove them wrong, Tubman grabbed a book and pretended to read; that was enough to fool them. Throughout her life, Tubman made 19 trips, and one especially dangerous one, saving her 70-something-year old parents. Her nickname "Moses" served her well, for though she didn't save many, she risked her life and inspired others to help and do the same.