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Harriet Tubman
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Photograph shows a full-length portrait of Harriet Tubman (1820?-1913) looking directly at the camera with folded hands resting on back of an upholstered chair. [Auburn, N.Y.] : [Harvey Lindsley], [taken between 1871 and 1876?, printed between 1895 and 1910]
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Harriet Tubman: Facts & Related Content

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The Latest: Trump signs executive orders to boost coal • Apr. 8, 2025, 6:26 PM ET (AP)
National Park Service restores original Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad webpage • Apr. 8, 2025, 3:01 PM ET (AP)
Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in the South to become a leading abolitionist before the American Civil War. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom in the North along the route of the Underground Railroad—an elaborate secret network of safe houses organized for that purpose.

Facts

Also Known As Araminta Ross
Born c.1820 • Dorchester • Maryland
Died March 10, 1913 • Auburn • New York
Notable Family Members daughter of Benjamin Ross • daughter of Harriet "Rit" Green • married to John Tubman (1844–1849) • married to Nelson Davis (1869–1888)
Role In American Civil War

Top Questions

Who was Harriet Tubman?
Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in the South to become a leading abolitionist before the American Civil War. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom in the North along the route of the Underground Railroad.
What were Harriet Tubman's accomplishments?
Harriet Tubman is credited with conducting upward of 300 enslaved people along the Underground Railroad from the American South to Canada. She showed extraordinary courage, ingenuity, persistence, and iron discipline.
What did Harriet Tubman do to change the world?
In addition to leading more than 300 enslaved people to freedom, Harriet Tubman helped ensure the final defeat of slavery in the United States by aiding the Union during the American Civil War. She served as a scout and a nurse, though she received little pay or recognition.

Did You Know?

  • Slave catchers knew Harriet Tubman was illiterate, so she escaped capture by pretending to read a book.
  • Harriet Tubman co-led a military raid during the Civil War.
  • In 2016, the U.S. announced plans to display Harriet Tubman's portrait on the twenty dollar bill.

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