Civil Rights & Activism

Harriet Tubman

Born c. 1822 · Dorchester County, Maryland · Joined the Ancestors March 10, 1913

Known as the Moses of her people, Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and returned south 13 times to lead approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Known For

Underground Railroad conductor

Missions

13 rescue missions south

Also Served

Union Army spy and scout

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery as Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. As a child, she suffered a traumatic head injury when an overseer threw a heavy metal weight at another enslaved person and hit her instead, causing lifelong seizures and visions.

In 1849, she escaped to Philadelphia and freedom. But rather than rest in safety, she made the extraordinarily dangerous decision to return south — again and again — to lead others to freedom. Over approximately 13 missions, she guided around 70 people, including her parents and siblings, through the Underground Railroad. She never lost a single passenger.

During the Civil War, Tubman served as a scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army. She became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the war, guiding the Combahee River Raid that freed more than 700 enslaved people. After the war, she advocated for women's suffrage and established a home for elderly African Americans in Auburn, New York.