Ring of Genealogy - Harriet Tubman

The Charles H. Wright Museum
of African American History

Ring of Genealogy Spotlight

Harriet Tubman (1822-1913)

Harriet Tubman was a leading abolitionist and political activist.

Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently spirited more than 300 slaves to freedom using a network of antislavery activists and safe houses.

In 1849, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia, only to return to Maryland to rescue her family soon after. Traveling at night and in secrecy, she brought relatives with her out of the state. She eventually guided many enslaved people to freedom. In fact, it is estimated that she helped free more than 300 enslaved people from the southern United States.

Tubman met John Brown in 1858, and helped him plan and recruit supporters for his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. Frederick Douglass said of her,

[With the exception of John Brown], I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than you have.

When the Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the raid at Combahee Ferry, which liberated more than 700 enslaved people.

After the war, she retired to the family home on property she had purchased in 1859 in Auburn, New York. She was active in the women's suffrage movement until her death in 1913. Tubman was buried in Ohio with military honors.

Conductor of the Underground Railroad

Watch this short documentary explaining the complexities of the Underground Railroad and Tubman's role in ensuring its success.

Watch the Documentary
Few Were More Courageous

Listen to one of The Wright's educators discuss Tubman's path from an enslaved young female known as Minty to a leading abolitionist known to all.

Hear Her Story
No Shortage of Leaders

The Ring of Genealogy greets visitors upon their entry to The Wright. The modern masterwork by Hubert Massey grapples with themes of community achievement, historical trauma, and more. And it is surrounded by 66 nameplates of leading Africans and African Americans. Learn about other important figures in the African American struggle for freedom, education, economic empowerment and social equality.

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“I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”

Harriet Tubman