The Underground Railroad | Harriet Tubman’s Goodbye Song | 5
Mar 6, 2024
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Learn about Harriet Tubman's remarkable journey on the Underground Railroad, her early life in slavery, and her daring rescue missions during the Civil War. Get insights from Angela Crenshaw, Director of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, and discover the emotional significance of Tubman's goodbye song before embarking on her perilous escapes.
Harriet Tubman risked her life to lead the Underground Railroad, freeing family and friends.
Tubman's post-Civil War humanitarian work included establishing a home for indigent African Americans.
Deep dives
Harriet Tubman's Early Life and Work in Escaping Slavery
Harriet Tubman's childhood on the eastern shore of Maryland involved arduous work like checking muskrat traps and caring for a colicky baby. At the age of six, she faced the harsh conditions of slavery. Tubman managed to make her self-emancipation attempt in 1849, singing a haunting goodbye song to her family. Even after reaching freedom in Philadelphia, she returned to Maryland multiple times to bring family members and others to freedom.
Harriet Tubman's Role During the Civil War
During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman served as a nurse, cook, spy, and scout. She led an armed raid up the Combee River in June 1863, collaborating with Colonel James Montgomery. This raid aimed to disrupt Confederate supplies by destroying plantations and rice fields. Tubman's connections in the area helped locate torpedoes in the river, ensuring the success of the mission and the emancipation of over 700 individuals.
Harriet Tubman's Post-War Activities and Legacy
Following the Civil War, Harriet Tubman settled in Auburn, New York, and devoted herself to aiding those in need. She purchased land to establish a home for indigent African Americans, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Tubman's caring nature and dedication to helping others define her post-war activities, as she continued to support those seeking refuge and assistance. Her legacy as a trailblazer and humanitarian endures through her courageous actions and unwavering commitment.
Personal Reflections on Harriet Tubman's Legacy
The director of the Maryland State Park Service, Angela Crenshaw, shares a profound personal connection to Harriet Tubman's legacy. Living and working in South Dorchester County, Crenshaw feels Tubman's presence in the landscape and nature that shaped her life. Tubman's resilience, leadership, and compassion continue to inspire Crenshaw and others, highlighting Tubman's enduring impact on history and the lives of those she helped emancipate.
In 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped her enslaver in Maryland and freed herself. Over the next several years she took great personal risks, traveling back below the Mason-Dixon line at least a dozen times to free family and friends as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Today, Lindsay is joined by Angela Crenshaw, Director of the Maryland State Park Service, who helped lead the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park. Crenshaw shares her deep admiration for Tubman and provides insights into her life – from trapping muskrats in the swamps as a child to leading a raid behind Confederate lines during the Civil War.
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