Harriet Tubman

Background Information & Activities

Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross around 1850 in Dorchester County, Maryland. She changed her name to Harriet, after her mother, and then later married a freed slave named John Tubman. From a young age, Harriet Tubman was fiercely independent and courageous and stood up for her fellow slaves. When she was twelve years old, she refused to tie up a slave and an angry overseer threw an iron weight. The weight struck her on the head and for the rest of her life, Tubman was prone to narcolepsy.

When Tubman was thirty years old, a white neighbor gave her the names of two people who could help her escape to the North. She left behind her husband and traveled secretly to Philadelphia, where she learned about the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.

The following year, Tubman returned to the South to free members of her family and help them escape to Ontario, Canada. She continued to escort other slaves and became an active member of the Underground Railroad. She helped about 300 slaves escape to safety and never lost a single one of her charges. She even threatened to shoot her charges who wanted to turn back.

It is important for your children to understand that the Underground Railroad was not actually a railroad. Instead, it was a group of abolitionists, or people who worked to end slavery, who secretly escorted and transported escaped slaves to the North. Conductors, like Harriet Tubman, made the dangerous journey with the slaves. Stationmasters were people who took in escaped slaves into their homes and businesses. Safehouses were the homes and business that were safe for slaves. They usually had lit candles or lanterns in the window to show that they were safe.

The Civil War broke out in 1861 and Harriet Tubman worked as a nurse, cook, and a spy/scout for the Union. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation and promised freedom to all slaves in the South. We recommend watching the Abraham Lincoln movie together as a review. It was not until Congress ratified the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 that slavery was abolished. It is important for your children to understand that even though slavery was illegal, African Americans still faced racism, discrimination, and inequalities. People still fight these injustices today and you should encourage your children to find "modern-day Harriet Tubmans" and draw parallels.

Harriet Tubman fought for equal rights for African Americans and women until her death in 1913. Harriet Tubman Teacher Activities

Tubman Timeline Plate

Brainstorm important events in Harriet Tubman’s life together, such as her birth, her escape from slavery, the start of the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. Then have students create their own timelines on paper plates. They can label important events around the edge of the plate. They may need to conduct research to find important dates. Have students decorate the timeline plates by illustrating certain events.

Tubman Coin

Have your students make a commemorative coin celebrating the life of Harriet Tubman. Take a look at different coins, such as the state quarters and the Western Expansion nickels. Compare and contrast their designs together. What would they put on a coin for Harriet Tubman? Have students draw pictures of both sides of the coin and hang them from the ceiling so students can share their work.

Tubman Tunes

Slaves sang songs that chronicled life in the fields. They also sang songs that revealed safehouses, conductors, and stationmasters along the Underground Railroad. Together research these historical songs on the Internet. If possible, have students play the songs for the whole class. Then, work with the class to make up their own song that teaches something. You may wish to follow the tune of a familiar song and change the lyrics. Harriet Tubman Family Activities

Underground Railroad Map

Together with your child, research different routes along the Underground Railroad. Look at a map together and trace the distances along the routes. How far did slaves travel? How long did it take them? Where did they sleep and what did they eat? If you live along one of the routes, visit one of the stations together.

Heroes

It is important for children to have role models that inspire them. Harriet Tubman is only one of countless extraordinary people that risked their lives to accomplish great deeds. Have your child think of his or her favorite heroes, real or imaginary. They can be figures in history or characters in books and movies. Encourage our child to make a character trait chart and list all of the qualities that make his or her hero great.

Follow the Stars

Slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad could use the stars to help them navigate. The North Star, or Polaris, was used to find north. Help your children identify the Big and Little Dippers. The North Star is the star at the end of the "handle" of the Little Dipper. Have your child imagine what it would be like to travel by the stars. Would it be harder or easier on a moonless night? What other ways can they determine north, south, east, and west?