Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, she escaped using the Underground Railroad, a network of antislavery activists and safe houses. As a free woman, she risked her life as a conductor, returning to free dozens of enslaved persons. During the Civil War, she joined the Union Army as a spy and became the first woman to lead an armed military mission of 150 African American soldiers from the 2nd South Carolina Infantry to free more than 750 slaves. She held that all people deserve respect, honor, and, most importantly, freedom.
