John Brown was another abolitionist that she came to know, although he promoted more violent methods for freedom than Tubman. Tubman changed the route for the Underground Railroad so that it was moved to Canada, where slavery was against the law.ĭuring her time as an abolitionist, Harriet became friends with other members such as Frederick Douglass, who was also known to help in the Underground Railroad effort. The change in dynamics meant a change in the ways that they had to help in freeing slaves. She was given the title of ‘Conductor’ of the Underground Railroad and was so successful that many called her “General Tubman” as well as “Moses” for her leadership qualities.īy 1850, there was a passage of the “Fugitive Slaves Law” which allowed punishment for anyone who assisted in the escape of a slave and allowed slaves that escaped to the north to be captured and returned to their owners. Once she was there, she set about a personal mission to help other members of her family to escape, which eventually became a mission for all other slaves. Tubman escaped slavery in 1849 and headed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, using the Underground Railroad for her escape. The violence that she experienced caused her to have severe seizures and headaches the rest of her life, based on a head injury she received when she refused to help a slave owner capture another slave. Artifacts of Tubman’s life include the silk lace and linen shawl given to Tubman by Queen Victoria in 1897.As part of a slave family, Harriet witness and experienced a lot of violence as well as the separation of her various family members as they were sold into slavery to other plantations. Beginning with the sobering "Slavery and Freedom" exhibit that traces the competing impacts of these two ideas on the founding of the United States, and extending into a massive collection of over 3,500 artifacts, this museum touches almost every aspect of African American life. This Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC, covers the wider African American experience and how it shaped the United States as a whole. National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC
Exhibits at this excellent museum show how escaped slaves made their way north, as well as the ways in which slavery still exists around the world today.
The Ohio River marked the boundary between slave states and free states, and Cincinnati, sitting right on the river’s north banks, was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center contains exhibits about slavery – both historic and modern © Richard Cummins / Corbis Documentary National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio Other exhibits display Tubman’s later achievements, including her actions during the Civil War, and her work as a suffragist and civil rights activist. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, MarylandĬlose to the area where Tubman grew up, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland, features moving displays that spotlight key moments in Tubman's life, with one moving exhibit that shares the names of the slaves she helped rescue – more than 70 in all. Here are the five best places you can learn more about her and her struggle against slavery. Tubman’s impact on American society is deep and lasting, an icon of courage and freedom in the face of incredible adversity. Later, she became a cook, spy and armed scout for the Union forces during the Civil War. Not only did she escape slavery herself, she became the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, helping to lead scores of other enslaved people to freedom.
Born into slavery 200 years ago this year, Harriet Tubman became one of the most important abolitionists in US history.