Harriet Tubman: The Conductor Of Underground Railroad - Research Paper Example

 Harriet Tubman: The Conductor Of Underground Railroad History Paper On The Life Of Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman is often referred to as “The conductor of the Underground Railroad” due to her contributions in helping people to escape from slavery. The Underground Railroad is an organization which supported slaves from escaping to states where slavery had been abolished. The Underground Railroad constituted a network consisting or railroad and also various sea routes which led to free states where the slaves could live their life with freedom. The Underground Railroad consisted of stations in the form of houses or barns where the fugitives could hide out. However, they needed ‘conductors’ i.e. people who assisted them in easing their journey in between the hideouts, and since the issues of escaped prisoners was quite controversial during the era, so was the role of these conductors1. In this context, the role and contributions of Harriet Tubman must be analyzed and acknowledged since she her audacity led her to free around seventy enslaves families. Considering the contributions of Tubman in this context, a situational analysis of the factors which led towards these efforts, also strategies utilized by her in this context is crucial. Prior to analyzing typically the role of Harriet, it would be enlightening to see the conditions prevailing in America at the time. During the seventeenth century, the practice of kidnapping people from Africa and trafficking them to America to enslave them was a common practice. In such a case, the slaves were being treated like entities and merely like a piece of property. Also, by the 1660`s states like Maryland and Virginia had already passed legislations to distinguish white free and independent servants from the black slaves. However, by 1819, around eleven states had passed legislation to abolish the institution of slavery2. Thus, in a highly divided America, a few of the slaves were attempting at escaping the states where slavery was still being practiced. In addition, there was an understanding being developed amongst a few masters and slaves that on the death of the master, the slaves would automatically be freed3. However, in the light of rising crime rate and controversies, even the states which had abolished slavery were treating fugitives as criminals and thus, the states were taking punitive action against them. In the light of such instances, those planning the hideouts and the escape routes were looking forward to quite brutal action on getting caught, which makes Harriet such a brave women who deserves some applaud. In order to develop an explanation over the factors leading to Harriet`s choice of being a ‘conductor’, it is important to study how her early life was like. While she was enslaved at Brodas plantation, she resided in a small windowless cabin. This was the era when the concept of ‘manumission’ was being incorporated into the institution of slavery where the masters had acquired the right to free their slaves on their death4. While Harriet was growing up, she had a tough childhood where she heard stories about how brutality was concurred on anyone rebelling against slavery. Later when she turned six, she was sent to work at an inspected trap line for Mrs, Cook where she caught measles. In the age of seven, she was sent to Miss Susan where she was assigned the duty to look after a child, where she was often abused and whipped. It was here when she ran away to hide in a pigpen only to return to her master out of starvation. Afterwards, she was sent to do tough fieldwork which was tiring yet she found it comparatively more comforting than the tasks she was carrying earlier. It was here when she heard of the stories of slaves fleeing to Free states. However, by this time, due to controversies, the black were now prohibited from learning to read or write. One time when Harriet was helping another slave in escaping she got hit with a heavy weight on her head, which left sleeping seizures and severe headache as a mark on her health5. However, as a result she started witnessing strong dreams about escaping. Eventually, Harriet`s father taught her with the ways through the woods, hoping that one day she`d be successful in escaping. All of these turn in events led to the socialization of her mind with the strong desire to escape. Furthermore, the actual plot which constitutes the story of her escaping must also be discussed in this context. On unveiling of the fact that the will of her mother`s old mistress Old Rit required freeing of her slave, Harriet plotted an escape as her right, though her husband threatened to turn against her in such an effort. Since the idea of escaping alone scared her, she convinced her three brothers to escape with her, though they backed out later. Thus, she alone found out about the Underground Railroad via a white woman who had promised to help her once. Thus, she gathered the courage to flee ninety miles only to reach the free state of Pennsylvania. There she started doing paid housework. The first slaves she helped in escaping was her sister Mary who she heard was being sold out, thus she helped her family to escape through the Railroad. By this time the fugitive law against escaped slaves was incorporated which put her life at risk by escaping other slaves. Yet, she pursued the desire to escape the slaves, while now she had to escape them via the Underground Railroad to Canada due to the fugitive law. By this time, she had acquired quite a reputation amongst those aiming at escaping. Since Harriet had undertaken the attire of a man while escaping slaves, a reward was announced on the capturing on the man who was escaping slaves6. From 1851 to 1857, Harriet had undertaken eleven trips aimed specifically at escaping slaves7. During these trips, instances have been recorded where the conditions were quite critical as she was on the verge of being caught, yet her instincts and strategies proved to be brilliant. For instance, while crossing an icy river, she was at a risk of getting caught and thus, she hid the slaves in a wagon right under many bricks. By 1959, she hadn’t only rescued many people from the perils of slavery, rather now she had turned into a public speaker after which she even served during the civil war without any pay as a nurse and even as a spy8. Thus, she was then known as a war veteran who didn’t just raised voice for the former slaves but also took up the cause of women suffrage. Her entire life, though full of struggles, yet teaches lessons of bravery, progression and moderation, at such a holistic level that one can only seek motivation and inspiration from her. Thus conclusively, every phase and every part of the life of Harrier Tubman is worth studying and worth applauding, yet the role she played as a conductor of the Underground Railroad deserves special attention. The task she undertook defies all odds and all logics, since not even men of immense strength and vigor could have gone as far as she did in her struggle where she didn’t give up at any point. Despite the bitterness she underwent all her life, she served the cause of taking her family out of the miseries by ensuring that each one of them got out slavery including some other families she could manage to escape as well. Therefore, she wasn’t just a pioneer in the role of conductor rather she risked her life and fortune on the role, which shaped up the entire struggle and gave strength to many. Bibliography: Buckmaster, Henrietta. Let My People Go: The Story of the Underground Railroad and the Growth of the Abolition Movement. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, published in cooperation with the Institute for Southern Studies and the South Caroliniana Society of the University of South Carolina, 1992. Haskins, James. Get on Board: The Story of the Underground Railroad. New York: Scholastic, 1993. McMullan, Kate. The Story of Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad. New York: Dell Pub, 1991. Lantier, Patricia. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. New York: Crabtree Publishing Co, 2010. Print. Petry, Ann. Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad. New York: Crowell, 1955. Slavicek, Louise Chipley. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2006. Read More