Harriet Tubman Biography

Harriet Tubman was born in December 1820 in Dorchester, Maryland. Growing up she had a very harsh and brutal childhood; both of her parents were enslaved. Her mother, Harriet “Rit” Green, was owned by master Mary Pattison Brodess. Her father, Ben Ross, was owned by Master Anthony Thompson. Both masters became a married couple. Mary Brodess’ son sold three of Harriet’s sisters too far away plantations to serve within the family. Harriet was thought of and viewed as stupid. Physical violence was a daily part of her slavery life. For instance, she received the whipping treatment from her master, and at only the age of three, a rock was thrown at her. As a result, for the rest of her life, she had occasional blackouts. Not only this, but one day …show more content…
John Tubman was a free African American who did not share the same dream as Harriet did. In the year 1849, Harriet escaped slavery, abandoned her husband, and escaped to Philly. Escaping to Philly, she brought her two brothers, Ben and Henry. Although successful, Ben and Henry second-guessed and returned to the plantation. Next, Tubman traveled Ninety mines to Pennsylvania. Here is where the name “Underground Railroad” developed. She became known as the “conductor” of the Underground Railroad”. Later, Tubman received notice that her niece, Kessiah, was being sold, along with the nieces two children. Kessiah’s husband, John Bowley, made a winning bid for his wife in Baltimore, Maryland. While up here, he met his new wife and moved on. As being a “conductor”, she met William Still. He was known as being one of the “busiest station masters”. Being a conductor she made nineteen trips from the North back to the South to free slaves. One slave, Henry “Box” Brown was nailed in a wooden box and mailed in a train from Richmond to William Still. In a total of eleven years, Tubman rescued over seventy slaves from Maryland. In making their way to Canada, she assisted 50 or 60 others. In all, she rescued more than seven hundred