Harriet Tubman’s Greatest Achievement
By: Ashley Jacob
Have you heard of the Underground Railroad? If so, you’ve probably heard about Harriet Tubman too, because she was the conductor of the Underground Railroad. From the day Harriet escaped from slavery, all the way to her death, Harriet Tubman was an amazing woman who inspired many people. She was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1822. She was a strong woman, and she proved it in 1849, when Harriet decided to escape from slavery and run away alone, without her husband. She helped many others escape from slavery as well. She had lots of great achievements, which included being a spy, being a nurse, being a caregiver, and being the conductor of the Underground Railroad.
When Harriet was a spy, about one year into the Civil War, she joined the Union troops in South Carolina. She was the leader of a team of eight black spies, who provided intelligence for a Union raid that would help free slaves. The raid took place on June 2, 1863, and it saved around 800 slaves.
Seven weeks after the Combahee River raid, Harriet nursed the wounded survivors of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers in Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor. She would go to the hospital every morning and would help the wounded soldiers that came to her. She worked like this everyday from morning to night.
Harriet Tubman was a caregiver for the 48 years between the end of the Civil War and her death in 1913. She took care of poor people in her home. She took care of the elderly, abandoned babies, the blind, and the paralyzed, and she helped them find shelter and feel welcome.
Harriet Tubman was also the conductor of the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad, despite its name, was not underground and was not a railroad. It was actually a series of safe houses that were scattered along routes that went from the slave border states all the way to Canada. Harriet Tubman went on at least 8 rescue missions and saved at least 38 slaves. All the trips she made were very risky, especially since the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, which forced even Northerners to turn in escaped slaves, which was also why they didn’t stop in the North and went all the way to Canada. The trips were long and hard, and Harriet did everything she could to keep everyone safe.
Out of all these great achievements, I think the greatest achievement was definitely when she was the conductor of the Underground Railroad. This achievement had lots of risk involved, and it took lots of hard work and patience. Harriet didn’t let anything stop her. This achievement took a lot more effort than the rest of the achievements. Although the Underground Railroad may not have helped as many slaves as the Combahee River raid did, but Harriet did something that most people weren’t willing to do.
