The Life of Harriet Tubman By: Lauryn Joiner Pd. 2

Harriet Tubman was born to enslaved parents in Dorchester County, Maryland in Slave owners did not want their slaves to know how to read or write making Harriet illiterate her entire life.

Harriet began working at an early age. When she was 5 years old, she was loaned out (sent away) to another plantation, which she had to check muskrat traps in icy rivers. She quickly became sick suffering from malnourishment and cold exposure and was returned home.

In 1844, at about the age of 25, Harriet Tubman gained permission from her slave owner to marry John Tubman. Although she was able to live with him, she had to continue working for her slave owner.

Harriet told John that one day she wanted to gain freedom. John discouraged her by saying that she will never be free and if that she tried, he would turn her in. She took the risk by running away and following the north star to free land in Pennsylvania. She traveled only at night until she knew she crossed the border between slave holding and non slave holding states.

"I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now I was free. There was such a glory over everything... and I felt like I was in heaven."

After Harriet Tubman was free, she went back to slave states and helped free others. She was known as Moses when she came and she freed a lot of black slaves.