Harriet Tubman
4-15-14
Robert Helber, Hali Warrum, Preston Norrwick
Mr. Belser
Diversity Project speech (Hali Reads)I Harriet Tubman was born in the winter of 1819 to my parents Benjamin and Harriet Ross. (History Net) Although my name given to me is Araminta Ross. (History Net) My parents were both slaves on Maryland’s eastern shoreline. I was born into a large family of slaves whose origin is Africa. (History Net) My family’s roots were from the Ashanti tribe located in Ghana. (History Net) When I was only 5 years old I was loaned out to another plantation, where I worked with muskrat traps, putting them into rivers. (History Net) I soon became too sick to carry on and was returned home to recover from my malnourishment. (History Net)
(Robert Reads) After I had recovered I was quickly loaned out once again this time as a nursemaid to the planter’s child. When I reached my teenage years I began my work as a field hand slave. (History Net) I would plow, and haul wood mostly. I remember a time when a fellow slave was being mistreated and had attempted to run away, I came in between the fight of the overseer and the other slave. (History Net) The overseer of the field threw a two pound weight at the other slave, but it didn’t hit the other slave, it instead hit me right in the head. This was a truly life altering experience for me, from then on I had lifelong headaches, seizures, and narcolepsy. (History Net) These things never went away, yet life goes on, with blessing. When I turned 25 the year was 1844, I had asked the master for permission to marry and was aloud. This is when I took on the last name Tubman. The man I had married was a free man, but I was not permitted to be free, which made things difficult. (History Net) My husband’s name was John Tubman. (Explore) When the plantation owner died in 1849, I ran away with two of my brothers, we were worried to be sold and separated to different plantations. (Explore) My brothers returned back to the plantation soon after, and I was left to run off on my own. (Explore) I made my escape through the Underground Railroad that was in place on the east coast through Maryland. (History Net) I only traveled during the night using the North Star as my guide. I made the journey 90 miles all the way to Pennsylvania. I then ventured to Philadelphia and worked any and all side jobs that I could find. (History Net) It was during this time that I began planning for my journey back to Maryland to free the family I had left behind. As a leader to freedom this is where my journey begins. (History Net) (Preston Reads) In the year 1850 a year after I was acquainted with freedom I made my first trip back to Maryland and I successfully purchased the freedom of my niece’s family. (Scott Williams) Before making this trip I first swore in to the UGRR as a conductor, this was an oath of silence of the very existence of the Underground Railroad. (Scott Williams) Another year went by and I made another trip for one of my brothers, and helped free two other random men as well. (History Net) These trips to the south were made even more difficult with the passing of the Fugitive slave act where freed slaves in northern states could be brought back to their owners in the south if caught. (Ducksters) In my third trip I was met with heart break as I had attempted to convince my husband John Tubman to come back North with me as he had remarried a free woman. (History Net) Instead of whining about the situation I was able to free some other slaves through the Underground Railroad during that trip. Whenever I was making a trip to free some slaves I would carry a long rifle, for protection, and to hold some credibility. History Net) When I would help people cross to the North I would tell them if they changed their mind I would shoot them, or even if they surrendered. Although depending on your opinion being caught may have served a penalty worse than death itself. (History Net) (Hali Reads) Although my