Harriet Tubman may be most recognizable today because of her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. However, that's only a fraction of her life's story.
Born into slavery, Harriet escaped and subsequently made 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved families through the Underground Railroad. She later helped abolitionist John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry.
Once the Civil War began, Harriet worked for the Union Army, initially as a cook and nurse, but later as an armed scout and spy. As the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the raid at Combahee Ferry, which liberated more than 700 enslaved people, earning her the nickname "General Tubman." Following the war, she was an active participant in the struggle for women's suffrage.
So this Harriet Tubman Day, and throughout Women's History Month, we celebrate the stories and contributions of trailblazers such as Harriet. There are countless stories of brave women who risked their lives for the freedom and equality for themselves and others, and many more continuing this fight today, and we celebrate both those known and those forgotten today and always.
📸 [Portrait of Harriet Tubman] / Powelson, photographer, 77 Genesee St., Auburn, New York. Courtesy of Collection of the Library of Congress and the National Museum of African American History & Culture.