Harriet Tubman Biography

539 Words3 Pages
Harriet Tubman was born enslaved in Dorchester County, Massachusetts, originally named Araminta Harriet Ross. Her mother, Harriet “Rit” Ross, and father Ben Ross were owned by different slave owners but were able to marry. Araminta or “Minty”, was one in the crowded family of nine, and was born in the year 1920. But soon after separation began (a normality for African American slaves), three of her sisters were sold to distant plantations by Mary Pattinson Brodess (the owner). Her mother “Rit” then denied any more separation of her family, which set a strong example for Harriet. This was a courageous act by her mother against her master, but affected Harriet whom would apply it in a couple decades to the freedom of hundreds of slaves. Sadly many more hardships were soon to come as Harriet (“Arminta”) grew into a young lady. Abuse in the 1840’s was not an unusual occurrence, but the violence that was inflicted on her caused permanent damage to her health. The most serious injury was when she was sent to town to pick up dinner for the Masters’ family, as she was passing through she happened to encounter a runaway slave. The overseer of the slave had commanded to restrain the man, and when she refused he threw a two-pound weight and hit her in the head. From then on headaches, seizures, and narcoleptic episodes started and never seized til the end of her life. The blurred life of Harriet Tubman was difficult and even more so when her father was freed, Ben Ross. Although, even though he was a freed man at age 45 he stayed and worked as a timber estimator and foreman for his former owners. The major cause of this decision was because the owners of Harriet (“Arminta”) and his family were still enslaved.As adulthood arose into her life, around half of the African-American people were freed on the eastern shore of Maryland. During this transition she married a
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