Black History Month: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was beaten and whipped as a child and even hit in the head with a metal weight (the weight was thrown at another slave but hit her instead). She would suffer from dizziness and pain for the rest of her life. None of this stopped her from bringing hundreds of slaves to freedom.

Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849 making her way to Philadelphia. Despite being free, she risked her freedom over and over, returning south to rescue her relatives and other enslaved people. During the Civil War, Tubman worked with the Union Army as a scout and spy. She became the first woman to lead an armed expedition in war when she helped liberate over 700 slaves at the raid at Combahee Ferry.

Today, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park in Maryland commemorates her life. If you’re in southern Maryland then you should visit to learn more about this extraordinary woman.

Additional Information:

• Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park

• Harriet - the 2019 movie about the life of Harriet Tubman

• Wikipedia