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Bedtime Biography: Harriet Tubman summary

Name: Bedtime Biography: Harriet Tubman
Rating: 4.6 (156 reviews)
Author: Catherine Clinton

Catherine Clinton

The Road to Freedom

4.6 (156 ratings)

34 mins

Brief summary

Bedtime Biography: Harriet Tubman by Catherine Clinton is a short and accessible biography of one of America's most inspiring figures. It covers her life of slavery, her journey to freedom, and her courageous work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.

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Bedtime Biography: Harriet Tubman
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Introduction

Bedtime Biographies are best when listened to. Check out the audio version to get the full experience!

Are you familiar with the name Araminta Ross? How about the name Harriet Tubman?

These two names belonged to the same remarkable woman. This bedtime biography tells the tale of how Araminta Ross – a girl born into slavery – became Harriet Tubman, a free woman who stood up for what she believed in, and fought, for freedom with bravery and fearlessness.

If you’d like to learn more about one of nineteenth-century America’s most heroic women, then make yourself comfortable and relax. Maybe close your eyes as you imagine the calendar pages flipping back, back, back – all the way back to 1825.

Chapter 1

Harriet Tubman always claimed she was born in 1825. Her true birth year, like those of most people born into slavery, went undocumented. However, we do know where she was born.

In the early nineteenth century, Maryland’s Eastern Shore was a place of staggering natural beauty. Fields full of grain surrounded Chesapeake Bay, forming a green carpet patterned with rivers and creeks and inlets. Waterbirds abounded, as did wildlife of other kinds. Beneath the water of the bay spread vast oyster beds. It was into this idyllic landscape, near a town called Bucktown, that Araminta Ross was born.

Chapter 2

When Araminta was about 19 years old, she married a free black man named John Tubman. Little is known about him, but the fact that he was free indicates that he married Araminta for love. At the time, any child born to an enslaved woman was also legally a slave. If not for love, why marry a woman whose children would be born into slavery?

In the years after her accident, Araminta’s religious faith had also become an increasingly motivating force in her life, driving both her work ethic and her decision-making. She felt that she had God’s protection, and knew it was her duty to work on God’s behalf.

Chapter 3

Freeing herself inspired Harriet Tubman to help others achieve freedom. By the end of 1850, she’d already established connections within the Underground Railroad, a network of people and places that offered safe haven and safe passage to people fleeing slavery. And she began using these connections to help other enslaved people break their bonds.

In December 1850, Harriet got word that her niece Keziah, or “Kizzy,” as her family called her, was soon to be sold, along with her two children. This news tore Harriet’s heart. Kizzy was a favorite relative. Harriet referred to her as “sister.” What’s more, Kizzy’s mother had been sold South, never to be heard from again. Would Kizzy’s children be torn from their mother as Kizzy had been torn from hers? Harriet was determined to prevent history from repeating itself.

Chapter 4

As Tubman continued successfully rescuing slaves and transporting them to safety, her reputation grew. Abolitionists and antislavery advocates began to sing the praises of this mysterious “Moses,” who was breaking the shackles of her people and leading them to freedom. By the mid-1850s, Tubman drew audiences in Boston, which she enthralled with stories of her rescue missions.

Like the time Tubman led 25 fugitive slaves through dangerous swampland, where they were forced to hide for more than a day. The waiting, the wilderness, the lack of food and sleep – it began to wear the group down, until one man suggested they turn back and return home. Tubman wouldn’t hear of it, though. She knew that if he got caught the rest of the group would be in grave danger.

Chapter 5

Despite the failure of John Brown’s grand plans, he served as a major inspiration for Tubman. After his death, Tubman vowed to carry on his mission and continue to fight for African-American freedom. It wasn’t long before Tubman made her first bold move.

Charles Nalle had escaped enslavement in 1858, fleeing a Virginia plantation and settling in New York. But, in early 1860, he was captured and slated to be sent back South.

The End

You’ve reached the end of this Bedtime Biography. Thank you for listening. Why not pause listening now so you can stay in a relaxed state? And if you’re off to bed now, I wish you a good night’s sleep.

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What is Bedtime Biography: Harriet Tubman about?

Narrated by Valeri Ross

Music by Federico Coderoni

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom (2004) sheds light on the fascinating life of Harriet Tubman, a pioneering woman who not only escaped the bonds of slavery, but also helped hundreds of others do the same. The book also offers insights on her vital role in the American Civil War, and in the fight for equal rights for women and African-Americans.

Who should read Bedtime Biography: Harriet Tubman?

People of all ages seeking an inspirational story
Amateur historians who love learning more about the Civil War era
Activists and advocates for civil and women’s rights

About the Author

Catherine Clinton is a teacher and historian who studied Afro-American Studies at Harvard University and received her Ph.D. from Princeton University. She has written more than 15 books including Civil War Stories, Half Sisters of History and I, Too, Sing America.

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