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Harriet Tubman And The American Civil Rights Movement

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Harriet Tubman, the woman who faced much adversity in her life, especially in her earlier years, was a very influential black civil rights abolitionist. During the time period, blacks were not treated as equals to whites and many blacks were slaves and Harriet Tubman was no exception. Harriet Tubman was born in the 1820’s on a plantation called Edward Brodess in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her mother was Harriet “Rit” Green owned by Mary Pattison Brodess; and her father was Ben Ross owned by Anthony Thomson. Harriet Tubman’s parents were slaves and thus, she was a slave also. Harriet Tubman did not receive any schooling or education and she worked throughout her early life. Harriet Tubman’s birth name was Araminta Ross and she took in her surname “Tubman” after marrying a free African American in 1844, John Tubman. She changed her name first name to Harriet, most likely as respect for her mother at age 11. From a young age, Harriet Tubman was determined to help those in need and she wanted to fight for her own rights and the rights of other people. When Harriet Tubman was 13, she got struck in the head by her plantation overseer for protecting another slave from punishment. Due to the injury that the incident caused, Harriet claims to have seen religious dreams and have visions of freedom in the future. This eventually inspires her to have the will to become free and she uses what she is famous for to get that freedom; the Underground Railroad. When the

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