Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman (née Araminta "Minty" Ross) was an abolitionist and “conductor” of the Underground Railroad (born c. 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland; died 10 March 1913 in Auburn, New York). Tubman escaped enslavement in the southern United States and went on to become a leading abolitionist before the American Civil War. She led numerous enslaved persons to freedom in the “free” Northern states and Canada through the Underground Railroad — a secret network of routes and safe houses that helped people escape slavery.
Early Life
Born into enslavement in Maryland, Harriet Tubman spent her childhood working without payment for the benefit of her owners. Preferring to work in the fields, she learned to navigate the land and use therapeutic herbs from her family and others who were enslaved. These survival skills became vital when Tubman realized that running away was the only path to freedom.
In 1834, she witnessed a young man trying to escape. When his owner threw a heavy weight at him, it struck Tubman instead, causing a serious head injury that led to seizures, hallucinations, and sleep attacks for the rest of her life.
In 1844, she married John Tubman, a free Black man. However, the marriage was not legally recognized, and she remained enslaved. She tried to convince him to flee north with her, but he refused.
The Underground Railroad
Tubman's escape came after the death of her owner in March 1849. Fearing she would be sold, she fled north on her own and made her way to Philadelphia with the help of Quakers active in the Underground Railroad.
After working in Philadelphia for a year to fund her first mission, Tubman returned to Maryland in December 1850 to rescue her niece Kessiah and her two daughters. This began her lifelong mission as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. She received assistance from notable abolitionists like Jermaine Loguen, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Garrett Jr., and William Still.
The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850 made even the Northern US unsafe for escaped slaves. As a result, Tubman began leading people to St. Catharines, Canada West (Ontario), saying, “I wouldn't trust Uncle Sam with my people no longer, but I brought 'em clear off to Canada.”
Life in St. Catharines
St. Catharines became a terminus of the Underground Railroad. When Tubman arrived in December 1851, she found work and rented a house on North Street. A small but growing Black community was already present in the area. By 1855, around 500 Black people lived in the town, which had a total population of 7,060. By 1861, the community had grown to approximately 800, with about 700 being fugitive slaves.
Tubman's neighbors included tradespeople and farmers. The heart of the Black settlement was near her home, at North and Geneva Streets, where two churches were located: the Zion Baptist Church and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, now known as Salem Chapel, a heritage site.
Tubman opened her doors to new arrivals and offered food and clothing. She worked with Reverend Hiram Wilson and founded the Fugitive Aid Society of St. Catharines in 1861 with her brother William Henry. She even cared for local orphans.
In 1858, she met revolutionary John Brown and hosted a meeting at her home to support his plan to lead an uprising. Although Brown wanted “General Tubman” to join the rebellion, her health prevented her participation.
Tubman lived in St. Catharines between 1851 and 1861 while continuing her rescue missions in Maryland.
Rescue Missions
Tubman’s rescues were carefully planned. She traveled by night, guided by the North Star, and hid her “passengers” during the day. She created a network of safe houses and used clever strategies to avoid detection, such as leaving on Saturday nights to delay the publication of runaway notices.
In total, Tubman made at least 10 trips and led at least 70 people—including family members—to freedom in Canada. She was never caught and never lost a passenger.
Return to the United States
In 1859, Tubman moved her parents and brother John to Auburn, New York, due to the harsh Canadian winters. New York Senator William Seward sold her a house and land on favorable terms. Auburn was home to a small group of freedom-seekers from her native Maryland.
Tubman began speaking at anti-slavery events to raise funds for her family and the abolitionist cause. After the Civil War broke out in 1861, she enlisted in the Union Army in South Carolina, serving as a nurse, scout, spy, laundress, and cook until 1864.
After the war, she returned to Auburn, remarried, adopted a daughter, and opened a nursing home for elderly African Americans. She remained active in the women’s rights movement and continued advocating for justice and equality.
Legacy
Harriet Tubman died on 10 March 1913 in Auburn. She dedicated her life to freedom, equality, and the service of others. Her influence extended beyond the Underground Railroad into public speaking, women's suffrage, and civil rights.
In 1990, March 10 was declared Harriet Tubman Day in both the United States and St. Catharines. In 2005, she was recognized as a Person of National Significance by the Government of Canada.
Tubman remains a powerful icon of resistance and hope. Her legacy inspired the founding of the Harriet Tubman Community Organization in 1972 in North York, Ontario, which continues to support racialized youth. In 2019, the film Harriet, directed by Kasi Lemmons, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, introducing Tubman’s story to new audiences worldwide.
SOURCE: Canadian Encyclopedia