Life of Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman
Early Life:
A. Birth
a. 1820
b. Dorchester county, Maryland
B. Siblings
a. Brothers: Ben, Henry, Moses, James, Robert
b. Sisters: Rachel, Linah, Soph, Mariah Ritty
C. Parents:
a. Mom: Harriet Greene “Old Rit”
b. Dad: Ben Ross “Old Ben”
D. Childhood events
a. Born into Brodas Plantation
a.i. Spent younger days with Grandmother
a.ii. Worked in cotton fields when she came of age (6)
b. James Cook hired her out
b.i. Punished by looking for muskrats
b.ii. Waded in water to get fish from traps
b.ii.1. Got Measles and Bronchitis
c. Sent back to Brodas Plantation
d. Sent to Be a nanny for Miss Susan’s child (age 8)
d.i. Beat for not cleaning well enough
d.ii. Miss Susan’s sister came to teach Harriet to care for the child and clean
d.iii. Beaten if child wakes up in the night
d.iv. Ate sugar cube, ran away, came back
d.v. Sent back to Brodas
e. When she turned 11, she wore a cotton bandana around her head indicating she was no longer a child
f. Age 12, she was injured with a blow to the head because she would not help tie up a man that tried to escape
Important Life Events
A. Marriage
a. 1st husband: John Tubman
a.i. John Tubman- Free African American
a.ii. She knew they could be split up
a.iii. She dreamed of traveling north- he did not
a.iv. If she ran off, he would tell her master
a.v. 1849- left her husband and escaped to Philadelphia
b. 2nd Husband: Nelson Davis:
b.i. Married in 1869
b.ii. 19 years until he died
B. Escape
a. Given a paper with 2 names and directions to the first safe house
b. When arrives, put in wagon, covered in sack
c. Given names of people who would help her cross Mason-Dixon line
d. Met a couple and got a ride to Philadelphia to work to get money to free slaves
e. Met William still- One of the main “station masters” on the underground railroad
f. Helped 1st group of slaves escape 1850
g. Sent message to her sister’s son to get on fishing boat in Cambridge and meet them in Bodkin’s
Early Life:
A. Birth
a. 1820
b. Dorchester county, Maryland
B. Siblings
a. Brothers: Ben, Henry, Moses, James, Robert
b. Sisters: Rachel, Linah, Soph, Mariah Ritty
C. Parents:
a. Mom: Harriet Greene “Old Rit”
b. Dad: Ben Ross “Old Ben”
D. Childhood events
a. Born into Brodas Plantation
a.i. Spent younger days with Grandmother
a.ii. Worked in cotton fields when she came of age (6)
b. James Cook hired her out
b.i. Punished by looking for muskrats
b.ii. Waded in water to get fish from traps
b.ii.1. Got Measles and Bronchitis
c. Sent back to Brodas Plantation
d. Sent to Be a nanny for Miss Susan’s child (age 8)
d.i. Beat for not cleaning well enough
d.ii. Miss Susan’s sister came to teach Harriet to care for the child and clean
d.iii. Beaten if child wakes up in the night
d.iv. Ate sugar cube, ran away, came back
d.v. Sent back to Brodas
e. When she turned 11, she wore a cotton bandana around her head indicating she was no longer a child
f. Age 12, she was injured with a blow to the head because she would not help tie up a man that tried to escape
Important Life Events
A. Marriage
a. 1st husband: John Tubman
a.i. John Tubman- Free African American
a.ii. She knew they could be split up
a.iii. She dreamed of traveling north- he did not
a.iv. If she ran off, he would tell her master
a.v. 1849- left her husband and escaped to Philadelphia
b. 2nd Husband: Nelson Davis:
b.i. Married in 1869
b.ii. 19 years until he died
B. Escape
a. Given a paper with 2 names and directions to the first safe house
b. When arrives, put in wagon, covered in sack
c. Given names of people who would help her cross Mason-Dixon line
d. Met a couple and got a ride to Philadelphia to work to get money to free slaves
e. Met William still- One of the main “station masters” on the underground railroad
f. Helped 1st group of slaves escape 1850
g. Sent message to her sister’s son to get on fishing boat in Cambridge and meet them in Bodkin’s