Roots of Courage
The sun was barely peeking over the trees when little Araminta "Minty" Ross opened her eyes. The year was 1822, and she lived on a big farm in Maryland. But this wasn't just any farm - it was a plantation where people were kept as slaves.
Fun Fact: Minty's birth name was Araminta Ross. People called her "Minty" for short. Later, she would choose the name Harriet Tubman.
Five-year-old Minty snuggled close to her mama, Ben Ross and Rit Green's youngest daughter. The wooden floor of their tiny cabin was cold, but Mama's love kept her warm. Outside, she could hear the roosters crowing.
"Time to wake up, little one," Mama whispered, gently stroking Minty's curly hair. "We have work to do."
Even though Minty was just a child, she had to work hard every day. She didn't get to play with toys or go to school like some other children. Instead, she had to help take care of a baby who belonged to her owner's family.
"Mama, why do we have to work for other people?" Minty asked one day.
"Because that's how things are right now," Mama answered softly. "But remember, you are strong. You are brave. And you are loved."
Minty learned quickly that being a slave meant facing many hard things. Sometimes she didn't get enough food to eat. Sometimes she had to work even when she was sick. But something special lived inside her heart - courage.
One day, when Minty was a little older, she saw another slave being punished. She felt so sad and angry that she tried to help. Even though she got hurt trying to protect the other person, she didn't run away. This showed how brave she was, even as a young girl.
Important Moment: Young Minty stood up for what was right, even when it was scary. This courage would help her do amazing things when she grew up.
At night, Minty would look up at the stars through the cracks in the cabin roof. She dreamed of a different life - a life where she could be free. Her father had taught her about the North Star and how it could help people find their way.
"The stars are like little lights of hope," her father told her. "They remind us that even in the darkest night, there's always a way forward."
Life was hard for young Minty, but she never gave up. She learned important lessons that would help her later in life:
Be brave even when you're scared
Help others whenever you can
Never lose hope for a better tomorrow
Remember that every person deserves to be free
As Minty grew, so did her spirit. She worked in the fields, sang songs with her family, and listened to stories about people who escaped to freedom. These stories lit a fire in her heart that would never go out.
Something terrible happened when Minty was still young. She was hit in the head with a heavy weight by an angry overseer. This hurt her badly, and she would have headaches for the rest of her life. But even this couldn't break her strong spirit.
Remember: Young Minty's strength wasn't in her muscles - it was in her heart and mind. She showed that even a young girl could be incredibly strong.
Every night before she went to sleep, Minty would think about freedom. She would imagine what it would be like to make her own choices, to walk wherever she wanted to go, and to help others who were trapped like she was.
Her mama's words would echo in her mind: "You are strong. You are brave. And you are loved." These words were like seeds planted in her heart, growing stronger every day.
The little girl who started life as Araminta Ross would grow up to become someone very special. Her courage, which started in those early days on the Maryland plantation, would one day help change the world.The Path to Freedom
The stars twinkled brightly in the dark sky as Harriet, now a young woman, made the biggest decision of her life. It was 1849, and she was ready to escape to freedom.
Important: Harriet knew that running away was very dangerous. But she believed that being free was worth the risk.
"I had reasoned this out in my mind," Harriet whispered to herself. "There was one of two things I had a right to: liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would have the other."
One quiet night, Harriet packed a small bundle with food and a warm sweater. She looked at the North Star, just like her father had taught her. The star would help guide her way to freedom in Philadelphia.
"God's time is always near," she said softly. "He set the North Star in the heavens. He gave me the strength in my limbs. I should be free."
The journey was long and scary. Harriet had to:
Travel at night to stay hidden
Find safe places to rest during the day
Follow the North Star to know which way to go
Trust kind people who helped along the way
Sometimes, Harriet would hide in wagons filled with hay. Other times, she would crawl through dark tunnels. She walked through forests and waded through streams. Her feet hurt, but she kept going.
Special Help: Kind people called "conductors" on the Underground Railroad helped Harriet. They gave her food and safe places to sleep.
"Follow the drinking gourd," they would tell her, using a secret code. The drinking gourd was another name for the Big Dipper, which points to the North Star.
One night, Harriet heard dogs barking nearby. Her heart beat fast as she hid in a potato hole under a cabin floor. She stayed very quiet until the danger passed.
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer," Harriet thought. "I can do this. I must do this."
After many days and nights of walking, hiding, and being brave, Harriet finally crossed the line into Pennsylvania. She was free!
Freedom at Last: When Harriet reached Philadelphia, she said, "I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything!"
But even though Harriet was now free, her heart was heavy. She thought about her family and friends who were still slaves. She made a brave promise to herself: she would go back and help others escape too.
In Philadelphia, Harriet found work as a house cleaner. She saved every penny she could. This money would help her go back to Maryland and rescue others. She learned the safest routes and made friends with people who would help.
The young woman who had escaped in the night was becoming something more - a hero who would lead many others to freedom. Her own journey to freedom was just the beginning of an amazing story. ⭐
Harriet's feet had carried her to freedom, but her heart would soon carry her back. She was ready to become a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping others find their way to freedom just as she had done.Becoming Moses
The cool autumn breeze rustled through Philadelphia's trees as Harriet packed her small bag. She was going back to Maryland - not as a slave, but as a hero.
Mission: Harriet was ready to help other slaves escape to freedom. People started calling her "Moses" because she led her people to freedom, just like Moses in the Bible.
"I go to free them or die trying," Harriet said with fire in her eyes. She knew every hidden path and secret trail. The stars would be her map.
Her first rescue mission was to save her sister and her sister's children. Harriet snuck back into Maryland at night, moving like a shadow. She wore a disguise and carried a piece of paper with fake writing on it.
"Hush now," she whispered to her scared family. "Follow me to freedom. Trust in the Lord and keep moving north."
Harriet became very good at helping people escape. She had special tricks:
Used songs to send secret messages
Carried sleeping medicine for crying babies
Traveled in winter when nights were longer
Never lost a single person she helped
Sometimes, slave catchers would come close with their dogs. But Harriet was smart! She would put special pepper on the ground to confuse the dogs' noses.
Brave Leader: Harriet made 19 trips back to Maryland. She helped about 300 people escape to freedom!
"Keep going," she would tell tired travelers. "Wade in the water to hide your tracks. God's gonna trouble the water."
One cold night, a man wanted to go back. He was scared and tired. But Harriet pulled out a gun and said, "You go on or die a slave! Live free or die!" He kept going.
"Children, if you are tired, keep going. If you are scared, keep going. If you are hungry, keep going. If you want to taste freedom, keep going!"
Harriet made friends with many people who helped her mission. William Still in Philadelphia kept records of everyone who escaped. Thomas Garrett in Delaware gave food and shoes to tired travelers.
Reward Notice: Slave owners were so angry about losing their slaves that they offered $40,000 to catch Harriet! That's like a million dollars today!
Even with all this danger, Harriet never gave up. She would look at the North Star and say, "My people are free!" Every person she saved made her heart sing with joy. ⭐
People started telling stories about the brave "Moses" who appeared like magic to lead slaves to freedom. Some said she had special powers because she was never caught.
Harriet had become more than just a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She was a symbol of hope. When slaves heard that Moses was coming, they knew freedom was near.
Frederick Douglass, another brave fighter for freedom, said: "I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than Harriet Tubman."
The little girl who once dreamed of freedom had grown into a mighty leader. But Harriet's work wasn't done yet. Soon, a big war would start, and she would find new ways to fight for freedom.A Warrior's Heart
The year was 1861. Dark clouds of war rolled across America. Harriet Tubman stood tall, ready to help the Union Army fight slavery. ⚔️
New Mission: Harriet became a spy and nurse for the Union Army. She used her skills from the Underground Railroad to help win the war.
"I can help," Harriet told the Union generals. "I know these lands better than anyone." She had walked them many times in the dark, leading people to freedom.
"The Lord made me strong," she said. "Now I'll use that strength to help end slavery for good."
As a spy, Harriet did brave things:
Sneaked behind enemy lines to gather secret information ️♀️
Led Union boat raids along South Carolina rivers
Helped free over 700 slaves in one big mission
Made medicine from special plants to heal sick soldiers
One day, Harriet led Union boats up the Combahee River. She knew where the Confederate soldiers had put bombs in the water. ♀️
Amazing Rescue: Harriet's river raid freed hundreds of slaves who were working on plantations. They ran to the Union boats when they heard freedom was coming!
"Come on, children!" she called out. "God's time is now! Run to the boats!" Many people cried with joy when they saw Harriet. Some remembered her from her Underground Railroad days.
In the army camps, Harriet worked as a nurse. She took care of sick and hurt soldiers. She knew which plants could help make them feel better.
"Every person deserves to be healthy and free. I'll help anyone who needs me."
The soldiers called her "General Tubman" because she was so brave and smart. But the army didn't pay her much money. They didn't think a Black woman deserved the same pay as others.
Did You Know? Harriet only got...
[Content restricted to members only]