Harriet Tubman essay

This has been researched through historical looking into her earlier life, her upbringing and how she lived the revolution. By identifying her acts and deeds, we try to erase the assumption that she replicated use of violent means in achieving her targets of freeing slaves. This serves to acknowledge her contributions and how her character should be replicated by all regardless of situations one is entangled in. Introduction In the mid-18th century, slavery was a calamity which had gained deep-rooted behaviors among the peoples of Europe and American continents. (One World, 2004) People of black origin were taken to work as slaves in white settlements and this was facilitated by slave traders. Harriet served as a scout member, a nurse and a spy in the periods of the civil war.

The entire aspects of individuals are not fully founded in the existing base of academics but through history and films, a reflection of the events that occurred in history is depicted some common knowledge and some completely new and uncovered. This rediscovers the new angles of viewing her contribution to the fight for freedom against slavery. Learning about the difference in styles of approach to every situation outstretches the need for activism against wrong regardless of the power with which the carrying factor is founded upon. Literature Review Prior life depictions of Harriet have been extensively done in the context of her contribution in the fight against the slave trade and racial discrimination. Her childhood is brought to a stop when she is taken as a slave.

(Sarah H, Bradford) She was hired at her childhood by a master to be a nursemaid taking care of a toddler. She would look after the baby even deep into the night so that the child would not wake or cry. She would often get whippings if she ended up sleeping instead of looking after the child. This aggravated her need to have freedom for she suffered low esteem due to embarrassment and constant burning out for she was overworked as a slave. Her brothers in the act get too scared of consequences that would manifest upon them and decide to return but Harriet is not bothered by this and decides to continue with her mission. She moved on till Philadelphia where she took up a job as a servant performing home-related chores saving her earnings for her return to free her brothers, family and entire slaves through figuring an escape.

The rise of the Abolitionist movement. With the rise in slave and slave-related activities, there arose the abolitionist movement which was more social and political to advocate and facilitate the liberation of the many slaves at then. The movement also advocated for an end to discriminations based on race and segregations. Formed in the initial years of the 19th era, the Underground Railroad gained maximum attention in the mid-19th century during the rise of civil wars between the north and the south. It was an illegal secret channel where slaves already freed could pass through to avoid detection by their slave masters. It was named after the rising networks of rail systems which were at the time gaining consideration as the best method of transport.

The term underground railroad was used as a coded language to avoid the understanding of the under dealings by the slave masters. The network was not fully organized and without any noticeably distinct routes but provided shelter and transportation to the fleeing slaves as a way of facilitating their escape. Civil war outbreak There was a break out of civil war in America which arose in 1861 some decades after the cooling of the tensions between the North and the South which was based on slaves and the rights of slaves. (Judith E, Harper)With a famous visionary Abraham Lincoln coming to power in the previous year before the civil war, there arose commotions where the southern states opted to secede to form their own American group of confederate states.

They were later joined by other four more states forming a war within states. The Confederates chose to surrender their ambitions in 1865 after a costly and deadly war was fought. The northern states of America were majorly manufacturers and industrialist while the southern states were large-scale farmers depending majorly on human power as labor. This fort in which she was deployed to had a huge number of the fugitive slaves who were either with families or singles. These families were made to work in manual and extreme conditions without pay. Tubman was assigned the task of assisting them in working as a nurse and washing clothes. She was later taken as a scout in the department responsible for espionage with her being the commander of the group.

She was directly answerable to general David and Saxton and was assigned to form supports and leak routes for those slaves who were trapped. Her residence was always open to those who were in dire need of food and shelter always taking care of their essentials regardless of her conditions of being with no money. She showed her personal concern for the elderly in the society at the time when the welfare of the social services was poor and insufficient for the whole group of the elderly. (Bradford, Sarah H )With her acquisition of over twenty acres of land being aided by the church and a local bank, she was in a position to build a home for the aging elderly society of black descent.