Harriet Tubman Web Hunt: Leading the Way to Freedom
Harriet Tubman led more than 300 people from slavery to freedom in the mid-1800s. Born a slave in Maryland, Tubman escaped captivity at the age of 25. She returned to the South 19 times to help other slaves flee to the North. She has become the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad.
Use this web hunt to learn more about her remarkable life. Record your answers as you go.
- Describe Harriet Tubman’s childhood. What was one of her jobs as a child? How did she get a scar on her head?
Find out about Harriet Tubman's early life in the America's Story activity from the Library of Congress.
- Describe Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery. When did she flee? Where did she go? What made her go back?
Learn about Tubman's daring run to freedom in this article from Biography.
- What were some of the reasons that Harriet Tubman's rescues were so successful? How did she discourage slaves who wanted to turn back?
Discover Tubman's strategies at the Africans in America website from PBS.
- How did Harriet Tubman help the Union during the Civil War?
Discover the many roles Harriet Tubman played during the Civil War in this National Geographic story.
- After the Civil War, how did Harriet Tubman continue to fight for justice and help those in need?
At the website for the National Women's Hall of Fame, you can learn how Tubman continued her work after the war.
- Read the August 29, 1868 letter to Tubman from her friend, the famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass. What does he say is the main difference between the two of them?
Read Douglass's letter of encouragement to his fellow abolitionist, Tubman, and learn about their relationship in this article from The New York Times.
Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington