ClassX Video Lessons Harriet Tubman for Kids | Learn about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Have you ever heard of Harriet Tubman? She was an amazing woman who did incredible things in the history of the United States. Let’s dive into her story and learn about her bravery and kindness.
Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 on a plantation. Her real name was Araminta Harriet Ross, and she was one of nine children. People called her “Minty” as a nickname. Sadly, Harriet and her family were enslaved, which meant they were treated like property and faced a lot of hardships. Some of her siblings were even taken away and sold to other plantation owners.
In 1844, Harriet married a free man named John Tubman. Even though her father was freed at 45, Harriet and her family were not. In 1849, Harriet made a brave decision to escape from the plantation. She used a secret network called the Underground Railroad to reach Pennsylvania, a place where she could be free.
The Underground Railroad wasn’t a real train. It was a group of people, homes, and secret places that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North. This network helped about 100,000 people find freedom!
After escaping, Harriet returned to the South many times to help others escape too. She was so good at this that people called her the “conductor” of the Underground Railroad. She knew a lot about the land and used her knowledge to guide others to safety.
In 1850, a new law made it harder for escaped enslaved people to stay free. Harriet changed her route to Canada, where slavery was not allowed, to keep helping people escape.
When the Civil War started in 1861, Harriet joined the Union Army. She worked as a cook and nurse, using her knowledge of plants to make medicine. Later, she became a scout and a spy, even leading a mission that freed over 700 people!
After the war, Harriet bought land in New York and married Nelson Davis, a Civil War veteran. They adopted a baby girl named Gertie. Harriet lived a long life and passed away in 1913 at about 93 years old. She was buried with honors for her incredible work.
Today, many schools and places are named after Harriet Tubman, including a museum in Maryland. She is remembered as a hero who showed that one person can make a big difference. Harriet inspires people to fight for what is right, and maybe one day, you can be a hero like her too!
Thanks for learning about Harriet Tubman with us! Keep exploring and discovering more amazing stories.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Have you ever heard of a woman named Harriet Tubman? What about the Underground Railroad? Harriet Tubman is a very important person in the history of the United States, and today we are going to learn all about her and the many amazing things she did.
Around the year 1820, Araminta Harriet Ross was born on a plantation. Both of her parents were enslaved, which meant that Harriet was also born into slavery. Harriet Tubman’s exact date of birth is unknown, but we do know that she was one of nine children and had the nickname “Minty.” Because Harriet and her family were enslaved and treated like property, she experienced a lot of pain and abuse growing up. Some of her siblings were even sold to other plantation owners, and so her family was broken apart.
In 1844, when Harriet was 24 years old, she married a free man named John Tubman. Around this time, about half the African American people in the area where she lived were free, including Harriet’s father, who was released from slavery at the age of 45. Although he was free, he remained working on the same plantation with his family, who unfortunately were not given their freedom.
In 1849, Harriet fled the plantation with two of her brothers. Although her brothers turned back, Harriet continued on and escaped to Pennsylvania with the help of the Underground Railroad. She was very brave!
What was the Underground Railroad? Unlike the name, it was not a train on railroad tracks but actually a network of people, homes, and hiding places that were set up to help Southern enslaved people secretly escape to the North. The Underground Railroad started around 1810 and ended in the 1860s. In all, about 100,000 people escaped enslavement using this network. What an incredible system!
After her own escape, Harriet returned to the South to help others do the same. Because of this, Harriet Tubman is sometimes called the conductor of the Underground Railroad. Her knowledge of the land, animals, and plants helped her do this.
In 1850, a law called the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, which stated that any enslaved person who had escaped from the South could be captured and returned. In response to this law, Harriet changed the route of the Underground Railroad’s destination to Canada, where slavery was outlawed.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Harriet decided to work with the Union Army of the northern states as a cook and a nurse. During this time, she boiled native roots and herbs that she had foraged into a medicinal tea to help treat those suffering with dysentery. Later in the war, Harriet became an armed scout and a spy and was the first woman to lead an expedition in the war. She guided the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina, which freed over 700 people from enslavement. She was an amazing person!
Harriet bought a small plot of land in New York and eventually married again in 1869. She and her husband, a Civil War veteran named Nelson Davis, adopted a baby girl named Gertie. In 1913, Harriet Tubman died around the age of 93 and was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York. There are dozens of schools, buildings, and other places throughout the United States named in her honor, including the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, Maryland.
She is a true American hero. Harriet Tubman was recognized as a hero during her lifetime, and after her death, she has become even more famous due to her heroism and bravery. She is an inspiration to those still fighting for civil rights today and shows us that even one person can make a huge difference. Maybe one day you will have the chance to be a hero like Harriet.
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