Tessa Quinn
Born Araminta Minty Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland, Harriet Tubman was a former slave who escaped in 1849 and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of slaves escape to freedom. She was also a Civil War spy and scout for the Union Army, and a nurse who served soldiers in hospitals and used home remedies to treat malignant fever, smallpox, and other infectious diseases. While the exact year and place of her birth are unknown, Tubman is believed to have been born in the early 1820s, and her birth name was likely Araminta Ross, later changing it to Harriet upon her marriage to John Tubman in 1844.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name at birth | Araminta "Minty" Ross |
| Birth year | 1819, 1820, 1822, or 1825 |
| Birthplace | Dorchester County, Maryland |
| Parents | Harriet ("Rit") Green and Ben Ross |
| Enslavement status | Born into slavery |
| Childhood | Raised under harsh conditions and subjected to whippings |
| Early work | Weaving and checking muskrat traps |
| Head injury | Sustained a serious injury to her head at the age of 12 or 13 inflicted by a white overseer |
| Marriage | John Tubman, a free Black man, in 1844 |
| Escape from slavery | Escaped in 1849 or 1859 |
| Underground Railroad | Conducted approximately 13 missions, leading hundreds of slaves to freedom |
| Civil War contributions | Spy, scout, nurse, and cook for the Union Army |
| Post-war work | Established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in Auburn, New York |
| Death | Died in 1913 in Auburn, New York |
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What You'll Learn
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery
Harriet Tubman, born Araminta "Minty" Ross, was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore in the early 1820s. Her parents, Harriet ("Rit") Green and Ben Ross, were enslaved, making her of purely African ancestry. The exact year and place of Tubman's birth are unknown, with her death certificate listing 1815, her gravestone listing 1820, and Tubman herself reporting it as 1825. However, based on a midwife payment and other historical documents, historian Kate Larson records the year as 1822, which is now widely accepted.
As a child, Tubman was "hired out" by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby, a common practice among enslaved children. She was subjected to whippings if the baby cried and woke its mother. She spent much of her early childhood with her grandmother, who was too old for slave labor. At the age of six, Tubman was considered old enough to work and was lent to a couple who put her to work weaving. She was frequently beaten and later given the duty of checking muskrat traps when she slacked off.
At the age of twelve, Tubman was seriously injured by a blow to the head inflicted by a white overseer for refusing to assist in tying up a man who had attempted to escape. This injury left her with a lifetime of medical challenges, including pain, seizures, and narcoleptic spells. Her condition made her unattractive to potential slave buyers, which later helped spur her to escape.
Tubman dreamed of traveling north to gain her freedom. In 1844, she married John Tubman, a free African American. However, knowing that she could still be sold and her marriage split apart, she escaped in 1849 when her enslaver died. Over the next ten years, she made about thirteen trips into Maryland, leading hundreds of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses. She also gave instructions to about seventy more who found their way to freedom independently.
In addition to her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Tubman served as a spy, scout, nurse, and cook for the Union Army during the Civil War. She nursed soldiers in hospitals and used her knowledge of roots and herbs to treat malignant fever, smallpox, and other infectious diseases. After the war, she continued to care for the sick and wounded, raising money for freedmen's schools and helping destitute children.
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Her birth year is uncertain
There is no record of the hospital where Harriet Tubman was born because she was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, on a large plantation near the Blackwater River in the Madison area. Her birth name was Araminta "Minty" Ross, and her parents, Harriet ("Rit") Green and Ben Ross, were also enslaved.
Tubman's exact birth year is uncertain, with various sources citing different dates. She reported her birth year as 1825, while her death certificate lists 1815, and her gravestone lists 1820. Historian Kate Larson's 2004 biography of Tubman records the year as 1822, based on a midwife payment and several other historical documents, including her runaway advertisement. This date, March 1822, has been accepted by more recent biographies as the most likely birth date. However, some sources also suggest the early 1820s or specifically 1819 or 1820 as possible birth years.
Despite the uncertainty regarding her birth year, Tubman's life and accomplishments are well-documented. She is known for her courageous escape from slavery in 1849 and her subsequent work as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of slaves escape to freedom. During the Civil War, she served as a spy, scout, nurse, and cook for the Union Army. She was also a lifelong humanitarian and civil rights activist, forming friendships with abolitionists, politicians, writers, and intellectuals.
Tubman spent her later years in Auburn, New York, tending to her family and others in need. She established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in 1908, which provided refuge for the elderly until her death in 1913. Both the home and the adjacent farm are now National Historic Landmarks.
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She was born in Dorchester County, Maryland
Born Araminta "Minty" Ross, Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, in the early 1820s. While the exact year of her birth is unknown, Tubman reported it to be 1825, her death certificate lists 1815, and her gravestone lists 1820. Biographies of Tubman have accepted March 1822 as the most likely birth year, based on a midwife payment and several other historical documents.
Tubman was born to enslaved parents, Harriet ("Rit") Green and Ben Ross. Her parents were enslaved by Mary Pattison Brodess and her son Edward, who ran a large plantation near the Blackwater River in the Madison area of Dorchester County. Tubman was one of 11 children, and as a child, she was "hired out" by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby. She was subjected to whippings if the baby cried and woke the mother.
Tubman spent most of her early childhood with her grandmother, who was too old for slave labor. At age six, she was considered old enough to work and was lent to a couple who put her to work weaving. She was beaten frequently and later given the duty of checking muskrat traps when she slacked off at this job.
Tubman's birth county of Dorchester has commemorated her legacy by marking March as Harriet Tubman Month and designating March 10 as Harriet Tubman Day, the day she died in 1913.
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She was named Araminta Minty Ross at birth
Born Araminta "Minty" Ross to enslaved parents, Harriet ("Rit") Green and Ben Ross, Harriet Tubman was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the early 1820s. While Tubman reported her birth year as 1825, her death certificate lists 1815, and her gravestone lists 1820. Historian Kate Larson's biography of Tubman records the year as 1822, based on a midwife payment and several other historical documents, including her runaway advertisement. Based on Larson's work, more recent biographies have accepted March 1822 as the most likely birth date.
As a child, Tubman was "hired out" by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby. She had to stay awake all night so that the baby wouldn't cry and wake the mother. If she fell asleep, the baby's mother whipped her. From a very young age, Tubman was determined to gain her freedom. As a slave, Araminta Ross was scarred for life when she refused to help in the punishment of another young slave. When she was around 12 years old, she refused to assist in tying up a man who had attempted to escape. As punishment, a white overseer inflicted a serious injury to her head with a heavy iron weight. The injury left her with a lifetime of pain, seizures, and narcoleptic spells. However, her medical challenges may have helped her escape slavery, as they made her unattractive to potential slave buyers and renters.
Around 1844, Tubman married John Tubman, a free black man. She changed her name from Araminta to Harriet soon after her marriage, adopting her mother's name. In 1849, she escaped slavery by herself, and became a fearless conductor on the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses where runaway slaves could stay on their journey north to freedom. Over the course of 10 years, Tubman led hundreds of slaves to freedom, making about 13 trips into Maryland to rescue her family and friends. She also instructed about 70 more who found their way to freedom independently.
During the Civil War, Tubman served the Union Army as a spy, scout, nurse, and cook. She nursed soldiers in hospitals and used home remedies learned from her mother, boiling roots and herbs to make bitter-tasting brews to treat malignant fever, smallpox, and other infectious diseases. In 1862, she travelled to Beaufort, South Carolina, to be a nurse and teacher to the Gullah people who had been abandoned by their owners. In 1865, she was appointed matron of a hospital at Fort Monroe in Virginia, where she cared for sick and wounded Black soldiers.
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She was born in a plantation near Blackwater River
Harriet Tubman was born Araminta "Minty" Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland, in the early 1820s. While her birth year is not known with certainty, it is estimated to be 1822. She was born into slavery, with both her parents, Harriet ("Rit") Green and Ben Ross, being enslaved. Ben Ross was enslaved by Anthony Thompson, who ran a large plantation near the Blackwater River in the Madison area of Dorchester County, Maryland.
Given her status as a slave, Tubman was subjected to harsh living conditions and physical abuse from a young age. She was "hired out" by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby, a role in which she was frequently whipped if the baby cried and woke its mother. At the age of 12, she was seriously injured by an overseer who threw a heavy iron weight at her head for refusing to assist in the punishment of another slave. This injury left her with lifelong medical issues, including pain, seizures, and narcoleptic episodes.
Despite these challenges, Tubman grew strong and determined to gain her freedom. She eventually changed her name to Harriet upon her marriage to John Tubman, a free black man, in 1844. However, her enslaved status complicated the union, and she knew there was a chance she could be sold and separated from her husband. True to her dreams, she escaped slavery in 1849, vowing to return and bring her family and friends to freedom as well.
Over the next decade, Tubman made about 13 trips into Maryland, risking her life to rescue her family and other slaves seeking freedom. She became a fearless ""conductor" on the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses for runaway slaves, leading hundreds to freedom. During the Civil War, she served the Union Army as a spy, scout, and nurse, using her knowledge of the outdoors and medicine to aid soldiers and civilians.
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Frequently asked questions
Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States.
The exact year of Harriet Tubman's birth is unknown. Tubman reported that she was born in 1825, while her death certificate lists 1815 and her gravestone lists 1820. Based on a midwife payment and several other historical documents, historian Kate Larson records the year as 1822. More recent biographies have accepted March 1822 as the most likely birth year.
No, Harriet Tubman was born into slavery. She was one of 11 children of enslaved parents, Harriet ("Rit") and Ben Ross.
