Harriet Tubman is best known for her role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but she was much more than just that. Motivated by her deep love of family, Tubman was a true American hero who suffered crushing physical pain and still escaped slavery, fought in the Civil War and then later for women's suffrage.
Here are 3 more things to know about Harriet Tubman.
1) In 11 years as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman conducted approximately 13 expeditions, leading more than 70 former slaves to freedom. And she never lost a person.
2) Due to a severe head injury she experienced as a child, Harriet Tubman suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which caused her to frequently lose consciousness for 3-4 minutes at a time.
3) Born Araminta Ross in 1822, Harriet Tubman went by the nickname “Minty” as a child. When she married John Tubman in 1844, she changed her name to Harriet, possibly in honor of her mother.
If you found this information helpful, and think someone else will as well, please download the Harriet Tubman info card and share it.
References:
- Bound for the Promised Land by Kate Clifford Larson