Harriet Tubman escaped slavery in 1849 and conducted 13 rescue missions that freed approximately 70 people while guiding dozens more to freedom. During the Civil War, she served as a Union scout and spy, leading the Combahee River raid in 1863 that liberated over 700 enslaved people—the first armed assault commanded by a woman in American military history. Despite these documented achievements, her story remains underrepresented in many classrooms. Schools like Harriet Tubman Charter School K-8 address this gap through inquiry lessons that challenge textbook narratives with primary sources, helping students understand her strategic leadership and enduring impact.
Born Araminta Ross in March 1822 on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman entered a world that would have denied her every freedom, yet she became one of American history’s most celebrated liberators. One of nine children born into enslavement to Harriet Green Ross and Benjamin Ross, she was affectionately called Minty during childhood. A head injury inflicted by an overseer caused lifelong narcolepsy, a condition that never stopped her from accomplishing extraordinary feats.
In 1849, at age 27, Tubman escaped bondage and traveled 90 miles to Philadelphia using the Underground Railroad. Though she never learned to read or write, she planned each mission with meticulous care. Her first rescue mission came in 1850 when she returned to bring her sister Mary Ann to freedom.
Over the following decade, she conducted 13 missions and rescued approximately 70 people from slavery, guiding them from the Eastern Shore northward. She also provided instructions that enabled 60 to 70 additional individuals to escape on their own. Despite a $40,000 bounty on her head, she was never captured.
Tubman’s contributions extended beyond the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, she served the Union as a scout, spy, and nurse. In June 1863, she led the first armed assault commanded by a woman in American military history, a raid on South Carolina’s Combahee River. Using intelligence she had gathered, she guided Union boats through Confederate traps and liberated over 700 enslaved people. Working alongside Colonel Montgomery, she helped plan the raid that targeted rice plantations along the riverbanks, chasing out enslavers and burning the properties to cripple the Confederate economy.
Despite her monumental impact on abolitionism, Civil War strategy, and the broader fight for freedom, Tubman remains underrepresented in children’s education. At schools like Harriet Tubman Charter School K-8, curricula attempt to address this gap through inquiry lessons that challenge textbook narratives with primary documents. Activities include comparing accounts using Common Core standards and recreating secret maps to help students understand her methods. Correcting exaggerations, such as Sarah Bradford’s inflated rescue numbers, guarantees accuracy while preserving Tubman’s true legacy as a strategic, courageous leader whose story deserves prominent placement in every child’s understanding of American history. The article also connects Tubman’s life to broader historical study, noting how scripture and history can both inform understanding of past eras.
