Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

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Harriet Tubman's Early Life

Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Rose, was born March of 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland.
Harriet Tubman was one of nine children and was the fifth child born. She had four sisters and four brothers.
When Harriet Tubman was five years old she was hired out to take care of an infant. Whenever the infant cried, she was whipped until the baby stopped.
Tubman was told at a young age that she was of Ghana decent but there is no proof to back this theory up so her true descent is unknown.
As a child, Tubman was not only enslaved, but she was also beaten, whipped, and even suffered a traumatic head injury at the hands of her aggressive owner.
- This injury resulted in disabling epileptic seizures, headaches, visions, and dream experienced which occurred throughout her whole life.
- Unconscious, Tubman was brought back to her plantation and was left without medical care for two days.
She had two brothers, Ben and Henry who made the first escape with her but eventually went back because they had second thoughts

Tubman's marriage

In 1844, she married a free black man named John Tubman and soon after this happened, she changed her name from Araminta to Harriet. Things were complicated because if John and Harriet ever wanted to have children, they would be born into slavery because the status of the children depended on the status of the mother.
It is believed that Tubman changed her first name, to her mother’s first name, to help her escape from slavery.
It is not known if John Tubman was born as a free man or escaped from slavery.