Harriet Tubman

Introduction

Harriet Tubman Ross, Bucktown, Dorchester, circa 1820 - Auburn, New York, 1913) American Abolitionist. Harriet Tubman grew up in a large family of eleven children, the fruit of marriage between Harriet Green and Benjamin Ross, both slaves. His ancestors had come to America from Africa in the early eighteenth century. His master, Edward Brodas, called Araminta, but she took the name Harriet, like her mother (Humez, 71-83).

Harriet did not receive any education, with five years and worked as a maid and nanny. The wife of his master was working during the day and at night was to watch that none of the children cry. For being a slave went through all kinds of traumatic and humiliating experience, had to see even how two of his sisters were chained. At six he began working with another master, who taught him how to catch rats and weaving. Once, he surprised the master taking sugar and Harriet escaped several days to avoid punishment. In the end, tired and hungry, returned and was hit (Anderson, 12-41).

Discussion

Harriet spent her childhood working as domestic servants or farm work. None of his masters was happy with the way you work, so sometimes he was in trouble. With twelve or thirteen, one of the foremen was angry with a slave who had abandoned the work, and sent Harriet to help him whip. She refused, and even helped the man escape. The foreman, seeing the man run, tried to stop throwing a weight of two pounds, but failed, and then struck Harriet strongly, knocking her unconscious. Because of this beating, throughout his life would be prone to motion sickness, dizziness and headaches, often fell asleep unconsciously (Anderson, 12-41).

These facts increased his reputation for inefficient working and rebellious. In 1844, her mother forced her to marry a free black man named John Tubman, with whom she lived for five years. They had no children. Meanwhile, Harriet began researching his family's past. For the story of his mother hired a lawyer, who found evidence that his mother had been free for a short period because the first master had died without making provision for it. Apparently, nobody told Harriet Green was free, and shortly afterwards returned to being a slave. This finding haunted Tubman, and further emphasized his rejection of all forms of slavery (Humez, 71-83).

The year 1849 was crucial in his life. His master then was a young white man who was ill, under the care of a guardian. They had to travel hundreds of miles through Maryland, Delaware and reach across Philadelphia. During that trip, Harriet had the unexpected and invaluable help of sympathetic black and white men. When he reached the free soil had mixed feelings: on one hands the joy of freedom on the other the grief that his family follow in the south under the yoke of slavery. Determined that, somehow, had to release them (Anderson, 12-41).

His life as a free woman was a change. In Philadelphia he met William Still, a black man called ...