The Contribution Of Harriet Tubman And The Underground Railroad

Slavery was an important time period that is still affecting American society today. For 400 years, Africans were enslaved by Americans and were forced to do hard labor in harsh conditions. They were forced to pick cotton, harvest and plant rice and build railroads. Slavery began in America in 1619 when countries in Europe would kidnap Africans and send them to America on boats. This time period is important due to the devastating actions that happened to Africans and what they did to change the course of history. There were many different approaches to slavery and some were violent. Nat Turner, among other violent African slave rebellionist, gathered weapons and men and began to start a rebellion to slavery. Although, most slaves took a violent approach others like Harriet Tubman began to free slaves through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was a major contribution to the freeing of slaves through her background, her escape, her influence in the underground railroad and her legacy. Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist who used the Underground Railroad as a way to lead slaves out of slavery. She was born by the name Araminta "Minty" Ross, in 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland with eight other siblings. Harriet Tubman was raised into slavery and when she grew old enough to work she was hired out to local farmers on her plantation. Growing up, her mother, Harriet, was a cook for the Brodess family. Her father Ben, worked on timber on the Thompson 's