Harriet Tubman – Blackbird and Company

protector: a person or things that keep someone or something safe
bold: showing or having an ability to take risks; confident and courageous
steadfast: resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering
outspoken: frank in stating one’s opinions, especially if they are critical or controversial
powerful: having great power or strength; having a strong effect on people’s feelings or thoughts

Harriet Tubman was ninety miles away from freedom when she escaped from captivity. (Pg 9)
The “Underground Railroad,” was a loose system of safe routes and places set up by abolitionists to aid slaves in escaping slavery. (Pg 12-13)
During the Civil War, Harriet worked as a nurse and a spy. (Pg 14)
Harriet got the scar on her head when she tried to block an overseer who threw a weight at a young boy and it hit her instead. (Pg 26)
Harriet learned how to make it to the North from the stories that free people told about escaping using the stars to navigate. (Pg 29)
Harriet was not sold in the Winter of 1848 and 1849 because she was very sick and no-one would buy a sick slave. (Pg 36)
Harriet was furious that her mother wasn’t freed when she should have been, because if she had been free she could have stopped the sale of her daughters. (Pg 38)

brave: ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage
loving: feeling or showing great love or great care
loyal: giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution
unfazed: not disconcerted or perturbed
forgiving: ready and willing to stop feeling angry or resentful over a real or perceived offense

In order to find the North Star, Harriet looked for the Big Dipper. (Pg 42)
As Harriet traveled north, she hid during the day in hollowed out trees and under fallen leaves. (Pg 46)
Once Harriet arrived in the North, she began work as a servant and a cook. (Pg 48)
Some of the disguises used on the Underground Railroad were: fake beards that changed a person’s appearance; carrying a farm tool to give the appearance of a free person going to work; wearing silk, since only a free person could afford silk. (Pg 58)
While in Rochester, New York, Harriet and her group made a stop at the home of Frederick Douglass. (Pg 60)
Before they were ready to escape, Harriet and her brothers hid in the corn crib outside their parents’ home. (Pg 67)
Harriet was nicknamed Moses, because, like the biblical figure, she led her people out of slavery and into a promised land. (Pg 71)

courageous: not deterred by danger or pain; brave
advocate: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy
devoted: very loving or loyal
fighter: a person who does not easily admit defeat in spite of difficulties or opposition
celebrity: a famous person

When Harriet lived in Canada for the summer, she earned money by chopping wood and growing vegetables. (Pg 73)
John Brown asked Harriet to help him with his mission to abolish slavery. She may not have supported his violent methods, but agreed with his goal to end slavery. (Pg 74)
It is estimated that Harriet helped to lead at least 70 people to freedom. (Pg 81)
The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states and came into effect on January 1^st, 1863. (Pg 87)
After the war, Harriet helped former slaves by giving them a meal or a place to stay. (Pg 93)
After the Civil War, Harriet continued to fight for civil rights by giving speeches on women’s suffrage, supporting organizations that promoted black women, and helping protect the rights of the elderly. (Pg 98 – 99)
Queen Victoria of Britain gave Harriet a silver medal to honor her accomplishments, and also gave her a shawl. (Pg 98)