Harriet Tubman's Expertise in Naturalism

Harriet Tubman, in addition to being an abolitionist, nurse, spy, and scout, was also an accomplished naturalist. Growing up with a father who was a lumberman, Tubman learned about the natural environment and used this knowledge during her work on the Underground Railroad. She used various plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, including baking bread with laudanum to quiet babies and using sassafras for its insomnia-relieving properties. Tubman's knowledge of the natural environment played a crucial role in helping enslaved people travel safely and clandestinely from the South to freedom in the North and Canada.