Harriet Tubman Mini-Q What Was Harriet Tubman’s Greatest Achievement? Overview: Harriet Tubman is one of America’s better known heroes. What is not so well known is, that Harriet’s story is long and has a number of chapters. This Mini-Q presents several glimpses of the Tubman story and asks you to determine her greatest achievement. The Documents: Document A: The Underground Railroad (maps) Document B: Trip Log Document C: Civil War: The Combahee River Raid Document D: Ci War: Nursing The Massachusetts 54th Document E: Care-Giving in Upstate New York (photo) AMini Document Based Question (Mini-Q) 217 eaicaTre pan Pj ‘This page may be reproduced for classroom useHariet Tubman Mini-O Hook Exercise: Harriet Tubman Directions: The Underground Railroad (UGRR) was a network of people and safe houses, It helped slaves escape from the South and travel to Northern states and Canada. Below are a number of the code words used by participants that have been found in old letters and diaries. They use the Bible story of Moses and railroad terms to hide their true meanings. Note: Moses is an important figure in the Bible. He was an Israelite. During this time, Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians. The Bible tells that God used Moses to liberate his people from slavery. After liberating them, he escorts them toa new land where they would be free named "New Canaan*—— Part One: Match the code words with the terms that define them. Code Word ‘True meaning Station Masters Jy Tie South stations 2. Safe house members who supported and hid fugitives ‘Conductors 3. Canada Cargo 4, Escorts who journeyed with fugitives ce &, Hacriet Tubmen’s nicknarse New Canaan 6. Safe houses (sometimes a barn or a secret room) Moses —— 7. Fusitives Part Two: Decode the sentence below by rephrasing it in your own words. “it's @ long way from Egypt to New Canaan. With the amount of cargo on board, Moses will need a string of stations and at least two or three conductors to make it through." 219 SateeTIe psa roe “This page may be reproduced ‘or classroom useBackground Essay Harriot Tubman Mini-Q What Was Harriet Tubman’s Greatest Achievement? The place was Dorchester County, Maryland. The year was 1822, or thereabouts. ‘The event: little Araminta Ross was born into slavery. From the beginning it was clear she was tough. At five years of age, Minty Ross was hired out to do child-care. By the age of twelve she was doing field work and hauling logs. In Minty’s own words, “I grew up like a neglected weed.” Despite a loving mother, these were hard years. Like so many slaves, Araminta lived with the fear that she would be separated from her family. After the Adantic slave trade ended in 1808, ‘great pressure was put on _ Maryland's Eastern Shore to provide slaves for the cot- ton fields in the deep South. Historians estimate that at this time 10% of young slaves in the upper South were sold away from their families. We know that at least two of Minty’s sisters met this fate. In 1844, Minty married a free black man named John Tubman, This did not alter Minty’s slave status but it did lead to a name change. ‘Taking her mother’s first name, and her husband’s last, Minty Ross became Harriet Tubman. ‘When her master died in 1849, Harriet made a life-changing decision. “I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things Thad a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, 1 would have the other.” Harriet decided to run. It was about one hundred miles from Harriet’s slave home near Bucktown, Maryland, to the Pennsylvania border, and another twenty miles to Philadelphia. Unable to persuade her husband to join her, Harriet took off on her own. ‘2za00 Th 080 Peet She never disclosed the details of her escape. We know that it was mostly on foot, mostly traveling at night, mostly sticking to north-south streams and the woods. It is remarkable that she made it. Over the next eleven years Harriet would return to the Eastern Shore and Virginia at least eight times to escort other fugitive slaves to freedom. Complicating her task was the Fugitive Slave Act, known in the North as the Bloodhound Act. This act passed by Congress in 1850 required Northerners to tum in escaped slaves. Harriet iced danger North and In her trips to rescue slaves and transport them to Canada, Harriet did not work alone. She was part of a secret network known as the Underground Railroad. The “railroad” had no rails and except for the occasional hidden base-ment, it had no underground. Rather it was a series of safe houses strung out along routes that extended from the slave border states to Canada. The safe houses were owned by people, white and black, who hated slavery and hated the Fugitive Slave Act. This DBQ includes documents on Harriet’s work with the Underground Railroad. But Harriet Tubman’s life, which stretched over ninety years, was larger than this. Examine all the documents, Consider her roleas Leader of the Underground Railroad, her Givil War contributions, and her post-slavery life as a caretaker. Then decide on your answer to the question, What was Harriet Tubman’s greatest achievement? This page may be reproduced for classroom useHarriet Tubman Mini-Q Background Essay Questions 1. In what border state was Harriet Tubman bom? 2. What occurred in 1808? cal 3. How did the expansion of cotton fields in the deep South affect young slaves on the Eastesn Shore? 4. How old was Harriet when she escaped slavery? 5. Why did the Underground Railroad not stop in the United States but run all the way to Canada’? 6. Use the followinng words in a sentence that demonstrates you understand the meaning. 2. Fugitive Slave Act b, Underground Railroad "Lhad reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” - Harriet Tubman 7. Why do you think Harriett would have preferred death if she could not have freedom? 223, oop rreoaatrst This page may be reproduced for classroom ussHarriet Tubman Mini-Q Document A ‘Source: Kate Ciiford Larson, Bound for the Promised Land, Ballantine Books, New York, 2004, cana 2 7 vl Hasiet Tubman’s southern ‘Underground Railroad’ routes to Philadelphia Af rewnsewaa™ Harriet Tuoman's northern Underground Rairoad routes to freedom Document Analysis 1. Is this document a primary source or a secondary source? Explain why. 2. About how many miles was it from Bucktown to Philadelphia? From Philadelphia to St. Catherines in Canada? 3. In the 1850s, why did Harriet feel it neseessary to escort her escaped slaves all the way to St. Catherines? 4. Using the town name, the direction and the distance: Describe a 3 -step route Harriet Tubman was likely to have followed from her slave home near Bucktown to Philadelphia. 5. Explain how this document proves that Harriet accomplished a great achievement.Harrist Tubman Mini-@ Document B Source: Adapled from Catherine Clinton, Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom, Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2004. Note: Records of Harriet Tubman’s rescue missions are very incomplete. Trip estimates range from 810 19. She made most of her trips in and around December when the nights were tong and fewer peopte were out. Typically, Haniet did not venture onto plantations but met fugitives at a prearranged place. When possible, “abductions* began on Saturday nights since slaves generally had a rest day Sundays and would not be missed untit Monday, moming. Harriet Tubman’s Rescue Missions Date Pick UpPoint End Point Cargo Dec. 1850 Baltimore, Maryland. Philadelphia (?) Niece Kizzy and 2 children Spring 1851 Dotehester County, Philadelphia (2) One brother plus two men (2) ‘Maryland Fall 1851 Dorchester County, Canada West (Ontario) 11 fugitives including brother ‘Maryland ———— Fal} 1852. Probable Trip Probable trip-Niagare—Numbers Unknown Pall 1853 Maryland Falls area 9 fugitives Dec. 1854 Caroline County, St. Catherines, Canada 3 of Harriet’s brothers Maryland Summer 1857 Dorchester Comty, St. Catherines, Canada__Harriet’s mother and father* ‘Maryland Dec. 1860 Dorchester County, St. Catherines, Canada 7 fugitives (H'T’s last reseue)** Maryland *Parenis were in danger because of shellering fugiive slaves. “*Most famous escape with drugged babies to prevent crying. Document Analysis 1. Is this document a primary source or a secondary source? Explain why. 2. If Harriet was born in 1822, how old was she when she made her first rescue? 3. Inwhat county and state did Harriet collect most of her slave fugitives? 4, According to this log, what is the total number of slaves Harriet escorted to freedom? 5. According to the document "Notes", what are 3 measures that Tubman took toavoid capture? 6. How does this document provide evidence of a great achievement? Explain.Harriet Tubman Mini-Q Document C Source: Emma Paddock Telford, interview with Harriet Tubman circa 1805. Note: About one year into the Civil War, Harriet Tubman was asked by the governor of Massachusetts to join Union troops in South Carolina. There she headed up a tear of eight black spies to operate behind the lines and provide intelligence for a Union raid to free slaves. The raid was conducted on June 2, 1863. It involved three gunboats, and black troops led by a white officer, Colonel James Montgomery. Vocabulary: Raid- A surprise attack used to collect or steal something When we went up the river in the moming, it was just about light, the fog was rising over the rice fields and the people was just done their breakfast and was going out to the field, I was in the forward boat... (T)he Colonel blowed the whistle and stopped the boat and ... a company of soldiers went ashore. About a quarter of an hour after ... you could look over the rice fields, and see them (slaves) | tiever see such a sight... Some had bags on™ their back with pigs in them: some had chickens tied by the legs, and so child squalling, chickens squawking, and pigs squeeling they al came running to the gunboat ... When they got to the shore, they'd get in the rowboat, and they'd start for the gun- boat; but the others would run and bold on so they couldn't leave the shore.... They was afraid the gunboats (would ) go off and leave ‘them. At last the Captain looked at them and he called me.... “Moses, come here and speak a word of consolation to your people!” coming to the boat from every direction. I begun tn teioicé and gignt Glay/lAnd the Well, they wasn’t my people any more than they was his — only we was all Negroes... ‘They didn’t know anything about me and I didn’t know what to say. Took at them about two minutes, and then I sung to them... ‘Come from the East, Come from the West Mong ell the glorious nations, This glorious one’s the best... Then they throwed up their hands and rowboats would push off. T kept on singing until we brought all aboard. We got 800 people that day, and we tore up the railroad and fired the bridge, and ‘we went up to a big house and eatched two pigs and named the white pig Beauregard and the black pig Jeff Davis. When we got back to Hilton Head in the morning ..., 1 took 100 of the men to the recruiting office and they enlisted in the army. Colonel Whittle said I oughtto be paid for every soldier as much as a recruiting officer. But Jaws! I never done got nothing,” Document Analysis 1. Is this document a primary source or a secondary source? Explain why. 2, When and in what state was the Combahee River raid? 3, What role did Harriet play during the actual raid? Why was this important? 4, Colonel Montgomery called Harriet “Moses.” Why'(The hook exercise explains who Moses was) 5. Which is the greater achievement: making eight trips into slave country to free 38 slaves over a ten-year period, or leading a spy ring and helping to free 800 slaves on a single night?Harrlat Tubman Mini-Q Document D ‘Source: Sarah Bradiord, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman, Auburn, New York, 1869, Note: Just seven weeks after the Combahee River raid, the all-black Massachusetts 54th made their mark on tistory with their assault on Fort Wagnar in Chariaston Harbor. Harriet Tubman sarvad as a nurse for the wounded surwors of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers. The assault on Fort Wagner was the subjact of the 1989 Academy Award-wining fim ‘Giory.* Befowis Harriet's descripton of her nursing experiences aiong with comment fromher biographer, Harriet Tubman: "Well, Missus, Pd go the hospital, I would, every moming, Pd get a big chunk of ice ... and put it in a basin, and fill it with water; then I'd take a sponge and begin. First man I’d come to, I'd thrash away the flies, and they'd rise, they would, like bees round a hive. Then I’d begin to bathe the wounds, and by the time I'd bathed off three or four, the fire and heat would have melted the ice and made the water warm, and it would be as red as clear blood. Then I’d go and get more ice ... and by the time I got to the next ones, the flies would be round the first ones black and thick as ever.” Biographer Sarah Bradford: In this way (Harriet) worked, day. after day, till late at night; then she went home to her little cabin, and made about fifty pies, a great quantity of gingerbread, and two casks of root beer. These she would hire some escaped slaves to sell for her through the camps, and thus she would provide her support for another day; for this woman never received pay or pension, and never drew for herself but twenty days’ rations during the four years of her labors. Document Analysis 1 Is this document a primary source or a secondary source? Explain why. 2, Whea and where did Harriet do this Civil War nursing? 2. Who were the soldiers that Harriet nursed? 4, Without amy pay, how did Harriet earn money to live? 5. Do you feel that Harriet Tubman’s nursing efforts were appreciated by the Union army? Explain your answer using evidence from the document? 6, How does this document prove that Harriet Tubman accomplished « great achievement?Harriet Tubman Min-@ Document E Source: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 1885, Group portrait of Tubman (far lef), her seond husband, Nelson Davis (seated, nat) arid residenis of her private home iri Auburn, New York Note: During the 43 years between the end of the Civil War and her death tn 1913, much of Hanfet Tubman’s time was sperit taking care of poor people i her home, Hantet often had six to eight people in her care. "The aged, ... the babe deserted, the epileptic, the blind, the paralyzed, ... all found shelter anid welcome.” Emma Telford Memoir, 1911. Document Analysis Is this document a primary source or a secondary source? Explain why. 2. After the Civil War, what was the focus of Hariet Tubman’s life? 3. Who did Harriet care for? For about how many years did she do this? 4, In terms of value to society and to her country, how does Tubman's caregiver work in Aubumn compare with her other achievements?