Recent Posts
In our ongoing series #WomenThatDid, ENTITY profiles inspirational and famous women in history whose impact on our world can still be felt today. If you have a suggestion for a historical powerhouse you would like to see featured, tweet us with the hashtag #WomenThatDid.
Name: Harriet Tubman
Lifetime: 1822 – March 10, 1913
What She’s Known For: Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist, humanitarian and armed scout and spy for the United States Army during the Civil War. She broke free from the bonds of slavery and worked as a conductor of the Underground Railroad to bring others to freedom.
Why We Love Her: Born into slavery, Tubman escaped, when there was confusion after her owner died. At an early age, she learned to resist her owners by running away, wearing extra clothes to protect herself from the lashes of a whip and fighting back.
Driven by the voice of God, she became a conductor of the Underground Railroad, making 13 missions to save 70 family members and friends. William Lloyd Garrison, northern abolitionist, nicknamed Tubman “Moses” in an allusion to the prophet who led the Israelites to freedom from Egypt. Adopting this persona, she used the song “Go Down Moses” to guide runaway slaves along the railroad tracks.
During the Civil War, Tubman served as a nurse, scout and spy for the Union Army. She became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the war. During her life Tubman was widely known and well-respected, but after her death, she became and American icon. She will replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill starting in 2020.
Fun Fact: As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Tubman said, “I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t—I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”
