This Picture of Harriet Tubman was taken by H. B. Lindsley in 1870. It show her leaning aganist a chair as the picture is taken. Tubman was a African-American abolitionist and a spy during the American Civil War. She was born into slavery, but later escaped. Harriet is also know for creating the Underground Railroad. Which was a network of antislavery activists and safe houses for salves that were escaping to the north. Tubman was born on 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. In 1849 she escaped to Philadelphia. Before creating the Underground Rail Road she would single-handedly bring salves from the south to the north.
When the civil war started, Tubam worked for the Union Army. Where she did many jobs like cook, nurse and armed scout. She was the first women to lead an armed group in in civil war, she lead the raid on Combahee river. This raid liberated around seven hundred salves.
The Underground Rail Road was most active in the 1850's and 1860's, it is estimated that more than 100,000 salves escaped to the north using the Underground Rail Road. The most popular destination was Canada. Where salves could be free and escape the brutal south. The Rail Road was composed of meeting points, secret routes, safe houses, transportation and help from abolitionist. Many small groups operated in the system to maintain the secrecy of the network. The conductor or the guides were free born blacks, white abolitionists, former slaves and Native Americans. The resting spots where the runaways could sleep and eat were given the code names “stations” and “depots” which were held by “station masters”. There were also those known as “stockholders” who gave money or supplies for assistance. There were the “conductors” who ultimately moved the runaways from station to station. During the night the slaves would move, traveling on about 10–20 miles per night. They would stop at the so-called “stations” or "depots" during the day and rest. While resting at one station, a message was sent to the next station to let the station master know the runaways were on their way.
Above is a map based on the work of Wilbur Siebert that shows the major thoroughfares of the Underground Railroad.
Although the fugitives sometimes traveled on real railways, the primary means of transportation were on foot or by wagon. In addition, routes were often purposely indirect in order to throw off pursuers. Most escapes were by individuals or small groups. The journey was often seen as too arduous and treacherous for women or children to complete. Due to the risk of discovery, information about routes and safe havens was passed along by word of mouth. Southern newspapers of the day were often filled with pages of notices soliciting information about escaped slaves and offering sizable rewards for their capture and return. Federal Marshals and professional bounty hunter known as salve catchers pursued fugitives as far as the Canadian border
Work Cited
The Underground Rail Road Conductor
http://www.undergroundrailroadconductor.com/
Harriet Tubman
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html
The Life Of Harriet Tubman - New York History Net
http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/life.htm
http://www.ukbiblestudents.co.uk/servants/tubman_files/tubman2_large.jpg
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