Harriet Tubman: Lawbreaker Or Freedom Fighter?

Born Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland, around 1820, Harriet Tubman was an enslaved woman who escaped to freedom in the North in 1849. She then risked her life to lead enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Over the next 10 years, she personally led at least 70 enslaved people to freedom and instructed dozens of others on how to escape on their own. But did she break the law?

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

The Act expanded the number of federal officials empowered to act in fugitive-slave cases. It stripped northern courts of their authority over cases in which slaveholders sought the return of their reputed runaways, vesting it solely in the hands of federal commissioners, who were blatantly encouraged to find in favor of the slaveholder by a compensation rate of $10 for each Black person remanded South (compared to only $5 when the claim was disallowed). The Act also compelled private citizens, upon threat of a fine or imprisonment, to assist in the capture and return of the suspects.

Harriet Tubman's work as a Union spy

Harriet Tubman is best known for her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but she was also a Union spy during the Civil War.

Tubman was recruited by abolitionist Governor John Andrew of Massachusetts to assist Union forces occupying coastal South Carolina. There, she provided medical care and other assistance to escaped enslaved people who had flocked to Union lines. She recruited some of them to act as river pilots and scouts to help undermine local Confederate support. She and her scouts collected intelligence on Confederate Army supply routes and troops, which she passed on to Union commanders. This enabled them to liberate enslaved people and destroy goods and property belonging to local plantation owners.

Tubman accompanied the Combahee River Raid in June 1863, joining a newly formed South Carolina regiment made up of formerly enslaved people. The raid was a success, destroying buildings containing harvested crops on several plantations and freeing more than 750 people from slavery, many of whom went on to join the Union Army.

Tubman's skill as a spy and scout was recognised by Colonel James Montgomery, who described her as "a most remarkable woman, and invaluable as a scout". Another Union Army officer, Brigadier General Rufus Saxton, recommended a military pension for Tubman, noting that she had conducted "many a raid inside the enemy's lines, displaying remarkable courage, zeal, and fidelity".

In addition to her work as a spy, Tubman also served as a nurse, cook, and laundress during the Civil War, using her knowledge of herbal medicines to treat sick soldiers and fugitive enslaved people.

The Underground Railroad

Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist who played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses and abolitionist sympathizers that helped enslaved people escape to free states in the North and Canada. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped to freedom in the North in 1849 and then risked her life to lead enslaved people to freedom.

Tubman's work with the Underground Railroad was driven by her desire to share freedom with her loved ones and friends. After escaping slavery herself, she returned to the South multiple times to lead her niece, her niece's children, and her elderly parents to freedom in the North. She also attempted to bring her husband, John Tubman, but he had remarried and chose to stay in Maryland.

In addition to her work with the Underground Railroad, Tubman was also a nurse, a Union spy, and a women's suffrage supporter. She used her knowledge of herbal medicines to help treat sick soldiers and fugitive enslaved people during the Civil War. She also provided crucial intelligence to Union commanders about Confederate Army supply routes and troops and helped liberate enslaved people to form Black Union regiments.

The 1849 escape from her Maryland plantation

On September 17, 1849, Harriet Tubman, born Araminta "Minty" Ross, escaped from the Poplar Neck Plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland, with her brothers Ben and Henry. At the time, she was enslaved to Edward Brodess, who had inherited her and her family from his mother, Mary Pattison Brodess. Brodess died on March 7, 1849, leaving behind a substantial debt. To cover these debts, Brodess' slaves were to be sold, and Tubman, having already seen three of her sisters sold, resolved to escape.

Tubman, Ben, and Henry fled north, towards Pennsylvania, a free state. However, her brothers soon had a change of heart and decided to return to the plantation. Determined to reach freedom, Tubman pressed on, travelling at night and following the North Star to guide her. She was aided by members of the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and transportation routes for fugitive slaves. The first person to help her was a Quaker woman, who sheltered her for the night and gave her instructions. From there, Tubman's exact route is unknown, but it is believed she travelled northeast along the Choptank River, through Delaware, and into Pennsylvania—a journey of nearly 90 miles.

Upon reaching freedom, Tubman found work in Philadelphia. However, she soon realised that her freedom felt empty unless she could share it with her loved ones. She returned to Maryland several times to rescue her family and friends, becoming a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad and risking her life to lead others to freedom.

The legacy of her work

Harriet Tubman is one of the most widely recognized icons in American history, and her legacy has inspired countless people from every race and background.

Born Araminta Ross, she was an escaped enslaved woman who became a ""conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom before the Civil War, all while carrying a bounty on her head. She was also a nurse, a Union spy, and a women's suffrage supporter.

Tubman is believed to have personally led at least 70 enslaved people to freedom, including her elderly parents, and instructed dozens of others on how to escape on their own. She claimed, "I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger."

Her work as an abolitionist and her bravery in the face of danger have left a lasting impact on American society. She has been honoured in numerous ways, including having a World War II Liberty ship named after her, the SS Harriet Tubman, and having her image featured on the $20 bill, replacing former President and slave owner Andrew Jackson.

In addition to her work on the Underground Railroad, Tubman also played a crucial role during the Civil War. She was recruited to assist fugitive enslaved people at Fort Monroe and worked as a nurse, cook, and laundress. She used her knowledge of herbal medicines to help treat sick soldiers and fugitive enslaved people. In 1863, she became the head of an espionage and scout network for the Union Army, providing crucial intelligence about Confederate Army supply routes and troops and helping to liberate enslaved people to form Black Union regiments.

After the Civil War, Tubman settled with family and friends on land she owned in Auburn, New York. She continued her philanthropy and supported women's suffrage, working with noted suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony. In her later years, she opened the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Coloured People, providing a place of rest and care for those in need.

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