Essay On Famous Slaves

Famous Slaves The word “famous”means having a widespread reputation. People see it as a good thing and people want it. The word “slaves” bring a horrid history and today’s actions to mind. “Famous slaves”, that is an entirely different story. These people are famous not because they wanted to, but because of the courageous acts they did during their lives. Civil Right Activist Dred Scott’s actions foreshadowed the Emancipation Proclamation in the 1856 speech of Abraham Lincoln in which Dred was spoken of. Dred Scott was born around 1800. Born into a slave family, Dred was sold to Dr. Emerson, a U.S. Army doctor. Dr. Emerson died in 1846. When Emerson died, Dred saw this as an opportunity to buy his and his wife’s freedom. When Mrs. Emerson …show more content…
She was a child who was known for helping others. At young age, Harriet had a two pound weight thrown at her head for helping out a runaway slave. The injury impacted Harriet’s life since the day it occurred. Harriet first escaped in 1849 after hearing that she was going to be sold. Harriet successfully escaped, but she felt as if she needed to help her people. Harriet made nineteen trips to free slaves and often refrained, “Mah people mus’ go free”. ( history.com ) In her ninteen trips, Harriet used religion, a gun, and the North Star. Her faith kept her strong during her trips. The gun was used as a weapon and a symbol to encourage slaves to continue the trip towards freedom. The North Star was the way to go for Harriet, the star lead Harriet to freedom. “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say; I never ran my rain off the track and I never lost a passenger.” (Harriet Tubman: Biography) Later on, Harriet became a spy, cook, and a nurse for the Union during the Civil War. Harriet died March 10, 1913. Many schools today are named after Harriet as a way to honor her for her courageous acts. The acts Harriet did are just as brave as Frederick Douglass’s