Introduction
It is no secret that the Civil War was the most high-profile and important event in American history. During a certain period, contradictions emerged between the North and the South that could not be resolved through negotiations and voting. In addition, this event, in a sense, became a symbol of the movement for the abolition of slavery. In this case, it is imperative to mention that many outstanding personalities have radically changed unfair attitudes toward some citizens. For example, Harriet Tubman, a feminist and anti-slavery fighter, opposed the slave system in the United States and was a supporter of social reforms in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Her whole life was aimed at legitimizing equality for black men and women. Therefore, her example attracted many enslaved people to fight for their rights. Harriet Tubman was one of the most significant figures, a vivid example of a runaway bondwoman who helped fellow sufferers as a conductor of an Underground railroad.
Analysis
It is known that Harriet Tubman, “the Moses of her people,” was an African-American abolitionist, humanist, and spy. After escaping from slavery, she organized more than ten missions to rescue enslaved people and was eventually able to free about 70 people (About Harriet Tubman, 2021). Risking her life, freedom, and the people she led, she continued to actively accompany captives in the 1850s (Cooper, 2018).
Thus, for this purpose, a secret system was used to organize enslaved people’s escape and transportation to Canada and the Northern states from the slave-owning South known as the Underground Railroad. This name came from using railway terms for conspiratorial goals, respectively. Escape routes were called “lines,” safe houses (usually rural farms, especially Quaker ones), where fugitives could safely stop on the way — “stations,” conductors who transported their “luggage” to the Northern states, and often to Canada — conductors (How many slaves, n.d.). The distance between the two “stations” was about one day’s journey. The routes passed through 14 states, usually through Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
In general, Harriet Tubman’s childhood was not easy in terms of the circumstances in the family’s life and throughout the state. She was born in 1820 in slavery on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland (History.Com Editors, 2022). Since childhood, she dreamed of being free and subsequently managed to escape to the North. There she became one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement, fighting for social reforms in the United States. At the age of 13, Tubman refused to participate in the beating of a runaway slave, for which she was hit in the head and almost died (Errick, 2022).
Indeed, the process of recovery lasted for many months, but the trauma bothered her all her life and left some imprint in her soul. In about 1844, Harriet married a free black John Tubman (History.Com Editors, 2022). To gain freedom, she told her husband about her desire to escape to the North, but the man did not support her, threatening to hand over to the owners for an escape attempt. Then Harriet decided to act on her own, secretly from her husband.
Consequently, the woman actively participated in the Underground Railroad activities. For this, she received the respectful “nickname” – Moses (About Harriet Tubman, 2021). It is quite apparent that Harriet was the most famous of all the “guides.” However, contrary to the laws on runaway slaves in 1830-1860, about 60 thousand enslaved people gained freedom with the Underground Railroad’s help; even more, slaves escaped without anyone’s assistance. The Underground Railroad activities supported a broad anti-slavery movement and convinced the southerners that the northerners were determined to end slavery.
Furthermore, during the Civil War, Tubman fought in the army of the Northerners against the slaveholders of the South. With her participation in 1863, the detachment freed about 800 enslaved people (June 2, 1863, n.d.). One of the outcomes of the war was the prohibition of slavery throughout the United States. Nonetheless, the issue of granting equal rights to the black population remained unresolved. After the war, Harriet continued to fight against the oppression of Africans and for equal rights for women. Harriet Tubman lived for more than fifty years, during which she often had to experience poverty, trying to feed her parents and numerous relatives, as well as a large number of homeless people who sought shelter and sustenance on her farm in Auburn, New York, where she had lived since 1857. Despite this, she also maintained two schools in the South for formerly enslaved people. Harriet was able to open a home for the elderly in need in Auburn only after a long struggle with local bureaucrats in 1908.
Conclusion
Summing up, it is necessary to state and recognize that Harriet Tubman was a heroine of the Civil War who made a significant and long-term contribution to the history of America. Harriet Tubman became part of the movement immediately after the escape. She rescued enslaved people by ferrying runaway residents of the Southern states to the North, as well as to Canada. For this purpose, a special organization called the Underground Railroad was created. The various routes used by the groups of fugitives began from the borders of the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland and led to the Northern States, as well as to Canada. The “underground Railway” had its organization — it had its own “conductors” (senior escorts in groups) and “stations” (housing provided by sympathizers for fugitives on the way for rest and shelter).
References
About Harriet Tubman. (2021) . Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Web.
Cooper, C.W. (2018). Harriet Tubman underground railroad visitor center. American Association of Geographers. Web.
Errick, J. (2022). 5 facts you might not know about Harriet Tubman. National Parks Conservation Association. Web.
June 2, 1863: Harriet Tubman frees nearly 800 people. (n.d.). Zinn Education Project. Web.
History.Com Editors. (2022). Harriet Tubman. HISTORY. Web.
How many slaves were freed during the underground railroad? (perfect answer). (n.d.). Dilworth, MN. Web.