Harriet Tubman |
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Born into harsh slavery as Harriet Ross in 1819 or 1820, Tubman lived in Dorchester County, Maryland. She married a free African American at the age of 25 and several years later, fearing she would be sold South, she escaped to Philadelphia where she met William Still, the Philadelphia Stationmaster of the Underground Railroad and learned how the system worked. In 1851 Tubman began relocating members of her family to St. Catharines, (Ontario) Canada. Tubman returned to Maryland to rescue other members of her family. She is said to have operated without fear of any consequences and she inspired bravery and courage in those fearful of escaping. It is believed she conducted over 300 people to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Her trips could take weeks at a time all the while evading slave hunters and the authorities. During the Civil War, Tubman served the Union as a soldier, spy, and a nurse. She was denied payment for her wartimes services and returned to Auburn N.Y. There, she married Nelson Davis whom she had met in South Caroline during the war. Only 12 miles from Seneca Falls, she helped Auburn remain a center for women's activities. She died in 1913. In 1995, the federal government honored her with a commemorative stamp. Housed in the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress Availability: Usually ships in a week. Product #: ppmsca02909 |
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