ôWhippedö, ôchainedö, and ôbeatenö were commonly exchanged words among American slaves throughout the 19th century. Day after day in a world filled with torture and pain, slaves suffered servile lives under the feet of an overseer. During these times, when freedom and liberty were merely the topics of dreams, one outstanding slave named Harriet Tubman set out to make her dream a reality. She possessed tremendous courage which proved to be of the utmost importance. Secondly, she had the determination and will not matched by any other slave of her time. Most importantly, Harriet had a loving heart, which influenced her to do the impossible. It was because of these abilities that she was regarded as æthe Moses of her peopleÆ. Harriet Tubman was truly a legend whose visions and heroic character paved the extensive road to freedom for hundreds of runaway slaves.
Bravery, one of HarrietÆs most developed and admirable characteristics, became an exceptional utility in fulfilling her persistent vision of independence. Time and time again, Ms. Tubman was forced to confront numerous life threatening situations. Not on one occasion did Harriet lose courage in what she was pursuing. One incident which exemplifies HarrietÆs bravery, pertains to her initial flight north alongside her brothers. Two hours distance from the plantation where they were fleeing, her brothers became quite fearful of their safety. They decided to head back forcing Harriet to return as well. The following quotation describes HarrietÆs feeling towards the importance of the courage she possessed. ôShe crept back into her sleeping husbandÆs bed bitterly disappointed. But she had learned an important lesson, one she would never forget: Freedom is only for those bold enough to take it.ö1 Although HarrietÆs siblings had made her plans more difficult, the final success of her goal of freedom was a function of her courage. It is very difficult to imagine how Harriet would have escaped from bondage without having the boldness and bravery she used throughout the course of her life.
Secondly, HarrietÆs determination and will had an astounding influence on her final achievements. On numerous occasions, there were unexpected loop-holes in HarrietÆs schemes. When HarrietÆs aspirations didnÆt go according to plan, she never lost her will to attain her goal. One occurrence where this holds true was when Harriet was escorting a group of æpassengersÆ along the underground railroad. ôOne slave said, again, ôLet me go back,ö and stood still, and then turned around and said, over his shoulder, ôI am going back.ö She lifted the gun, aimed it at the despairing slave. She said, ôGo on with us or die.ö2 This quotation demonstrates that Harriet wasnÆt going to let anything as trivial as a cowardly slave, come between her and her dream of freedom. If violence was the only resort to her problems, Harriet was willing to use it. It was this determination that led Harriet, along with several hundreds of slaves, to independence.
Last but certainly not least in character was HarrietÆs love of people. She held a truly unique passion for people which she frequently displayed. All throughout her life, Harriet put others before herself. Her happiness was reflective of others and as a result of this, she was lovingly devoted toward the weak and unable. One event which genuinely described this love was when Harriet established a home for elderly blacks. HarrietÆs love could be seen in the manner she recalled the incident. ôWhen I [gave] the Home over to Zion Church, what do you suppose they did? Why, they made a rule that nobody should come in without a hundred dollars. Now I wanted to make a rule that nobody could come in unless they had no money.ö3 It is quite apparent that Harriet was deeply upset about this subject, and she had all right to be. After all, she had just unleashed them from lives of agony and now they had to worry about something as trivial as funding for old age. To the loving and caring Harriet Tubman; it was simply ludicrous. If it were not for the immense love of Harriet Tubman, hundreds of suffering individuals would have lived and died in chains.
YesterdayÆs slavery has created various heroes and legends whose enduring tales have been told and retold up until the present. One such story was the gripping and captivating story of Harriet Tubman. From childhood, Harriet dreamed of a world where blacks prospered in a liberated state. It was from this dream that Harriet blue-printed her entire future. Although Harriet was a strongly strategic planner, she possessed certain traits which she more effectively applied. She held a tight lid on fear which she never let go of. Secondly, she had determination which demonstrated to be a most powerful instrument, that she used to its fullest capability. Lastly, she carried a love that reached out and empathized for hundreds of black slaves. Even in todayÆs society, it is rare to find an individual who match Harriet in character. Harriet was and is truly a heroic legend whose courage, will, and loving touch has affected thousands in a fashion that is unique to itself.
End Notes
1Marian Taylor, Harriet Tubman (New York: Chelsea House, 1991), p. 36
2Anne Lane Petry, Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (New York: Pocket, 1955), p. 129
3Anne Lane Petry, Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (New York: Pocket, 1955), p. 219
Bibliography
Petry, Anne Lane. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad.
New York: Pocket, 1955
Taylor, Marian. Harriet Tubman. New York: Chelsea House, 1991
ôHarriet Tubman.ö The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Macropaedia.
