Harriet Tubman. American Hero. by Claire Daniel illustrated by Bruce Emmett

Transcription

1 Harriet Tubman American Hero by Claire Daniel illustrated by Bruce Emmett

2 Harriet Tubman American Hero by Claire Daniel illustrated by Bruce Emmett Copyright by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to School Permissions and Copyrights, Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida Fax: HARCOURT and the Harcourt Logo are trademarks of Harcourt, Inc., registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions. Printed in the United States of America ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Ordering Options ISBN-10: (Grade 5 Below-Level Collection) ISBN-13: (Grade 5 Below-Level Collection) ISBN-10: (package of 5) ISBN-13: (package of 5) If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Harcourt School Publishers retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited and is illegal. Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format

3 Harriet Tubman s life stands out in history. She was born an enslaved person but is best known for what she did after she escaped. Today, she is remembered as a woman who put her own life in danger to help others. Early Life Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland around 1820, when slavery still existed in the United States. Both of her parents were enslaved. She began working when she was five or six years old. Her first job was as a house servant. When she was twelve, she was sent to work in the fields. 3

4 When she was a teenager, Harriet was injured in an accident. The man in charge of the enslaved persons had become infuriated at a field hand. Harriet stepped in between the overseer and the field hand. The boss picked up a heavy weight and threw it. The weight hit Harriet in the head. It was a blow that affected her for the rest of her life. From then on, she had spells that caused her to fall into a deep sleep. 4

5 A Daring Escape When Harriet turned thirty years old, she heard that she was going to be sold to a new owner. This news meant that Harriet would be forced to leave her family. Instead of accepting her fate, she decided to escape and go to the North where she could be free. Her decision was very risky, but Harriet knew she stood a good chance to secure a better life. As Harriet prepared to escape, she met a friendly white woman who gave her shelter in a safe house. Then Harriet was put in a wagon and driven to another house. She continued on in this way until she reached Pennsylvania. It was there that she became a free woman. 5

6 The Underground Railroad Harriet s journey to the North was a very difficult one. It inspired her to help other enslaved persons gain freedom. Harriet began by learning about other ways the enslaved were escaping to the North. Many arrived along a path of safe houses, similar to the way Harriet herself had escaped. This trail of safe houses was called the Underground Railroad. This railroad had no tracks, just a number of homes along the way from south to north. This railroad led enslaved persons to freedom. The people who owned safe houses were called station masters. A station was a house where enslaved persons hid from people trying to take them back to their owners. A conductor was the person who led the enslaved persons from place to place. Harriet returned to the South to lead her family members to safety. She led her parents north, even though they were seventy years old. Harriet led them all the way to Canada. In Canada, her parents made a new life for themselves. 6

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8 Being a conductor was dangerous and illegal. Patrols were always looking for runaways. Still, Harriet was not disheartened. She became so successful as a conductor that patrols put up signs about her. They offered a reward for her capture. At one time, she was worth $40,000, which was a lot of money for that time! It must have meant that they were threatened by her success. However, the danger did not faze Harriet. She continued her task. Harriet made nineteen trips along the Underground Railroad to free those who were enslaved. The trips were dangerous and difficult. Those traveling the railroad faced nearly impassable conditions. They were forced to go through swamps, waterways, marshes, forests, mountains, and along back roads. They traveled at night for safety. 8

9 Harriet followed the North Star on her trips. If the sky was cloudy, she looked for moss on tree bark. The moss told her which side of the tree pointed north. Harriet s head injury always troubled her. Sometimes Harriet would suddenly fall asleep. Her passengers would wait for her to wake up, and then they would continue on their way. 9

10 Harriet was a stern leader. Sometimes her passengers would become frightened. The weather often made travel difficult. People were often tired and hungry. They might have begged to go back home. Harriet pushed on. 10

11 Harriet had one firm rule there was no going back. She told her passengers that they would be free or die. If Harriet had relented and allowed some of them to go back, the people trying to take them back to their owners might have found the rest of the group. People must have had faith in her leadership. Harriet led over three hundred enslaved persons to freedom. She later said that she never lost a passenger, and she never got off the track. 11

12 The Civil War In 1860, the Civil War began. Harriet Tubman still crusaded for freedom. During the war, she served as a nurse for the North. When the soldiers were sick, she made an herbal tea to cure their sickness. She knew the land well because she had led so many to freedom over that land. As a result, she became a spy for the North. She reported what she saw back to the Union troops. 12

13 Harriet s Later Life After the war, Harriet Tubman moved to Auburn, New York, with her family. In 1908, she built a home for elderly people who had no money. Harriet Tubman died in Since her death, she has received many honors. A ship was named after her in In 1995, a stamp was minted in her honor. In classrooms all over the country, teachers tell students her great story so that they understand how courageous a person she truly was. 13

14 Harriet Tubman lived her life serving others. She was a strong woman and a hero to many. Throughout her life, Harriet helped the young and the old, the ordinary and the eccentric. Everyone thought she was courageous. Nobody could deny how influential she was during her lifetime. We still remember her today as one of the most important people in America s history. 14

15 Think Critically 1. What words would you use to describe Harriet Tubman? 2. Why do you think Harriet Tubman worked so hard to lead others to freedom? 3. How did the author organize the information in this story? 4. How did the Underground Railroad work? 5. How did reading about Harriet Tubman s life make you feel? Social Studies Make a Time Line Make a time line of the events in Harriet Tubman s life. Research other signifi cant events that happened during this time, and add them to your time line. School-Home Connection Ask family members to each name a person that he or she thinks has contributed most to the history of this country. Then tell them what person you would choose. Discuss your choices with one another. Word Count: 1,007 (with graphic 1,018)