Liberty Lives Here #18: Harriet Tubman
Liberty Lives Here is a yearlong blog series celebrating 250 years of American liberty. Every two weeks, throughout 2026, we will be sharing stories of men and women whose lives helped shape the nation we call home. Some are well known. Others are easy to overlook. Each story invites us to slow down, look closely, and remember that liberty has always been built through faith, courage, and everyday faithfulness.
Harriet Tubman
There are some people in history whose lives force us to ask ourselves a question: What would I be willing to risk for someone else’s freedom? Harriet Tubman knew what it was like to live without freedom.
Harriet was born into slavery in Maryland around 1822. Her birth name was Araminta Ross, and everyone called her “Minty.” From the time she was a young child, her life belonged—at least according to the laws of the time—to someone else.
She was sent away from her family to work for other people while she was still very young. She was beaten and mistreated. She watched members of her family live under the constant threat of being sold away.
And when Harriet was still a young woman, she suffered a brain injury that affected her for the rest of her life. The injury nearly killed her and left her with neurological problems that followed her for the rest of her life. Harriet suffered terrible headaches and sudden episodes in which she would fall deeply asleep—even in the middle of a conversation—and then awaken minutes later and continue where she had left off. She also experienced extraordinarily vivid dreams and visions. Historians have often described these episodes as a form of epilepsy, while some modern researchers believe her symptoms may have been caused by post-traumatic narcolepsy resulting from the severe brain injury.
Through all of it, Harriet held tightly to her faith in God. She had learned Bible stories from her mother, and as she grew older, her faith became deeply personal. Harriet prayed for direction and believed God was with her, guiding and protecting her. That faith would become the foundation of an extraordinarily courageous life.
In 1849, Harriet learned that she might be sold. She made an incredibly dangerous decision. She would run.
Traveling mostly at night and relying on a network of people willing to help escaping slaves, Harriet made her way north to Pennsylvania. She was free, but freedom didn’t feel complete while the people she loved were still enslaved.
Harriet later described crossing into Pennsylvania and realizing that everything around her seemed different now that she was free. But she also understood something else: She had no intention of enjoying that freedom alone. So Harriet went back.
And then she went back again.
Over the next decade, she returned to Maryland numerous times to guide family members and others north through the network we now call the Underground Railroad. Think about what that meant. Every trip south placed Harriet’s own freedom and her life in danger. If she were captured, she could be returned to slavery and severely punished, but she went anyway.
Harriet became known as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. She learned routes, relied on trusted helpers, traveled under cover of darkness, and used tremendous resourcefulness to avoid capture. Eventually, she helped dozens of people escape slavery directly and provided assistance and instructions that helped many others seek freedom.
Harriet Tubman became famous for her determination. She is often credited with saying that she never ran her train off the track and never lost a passenger. That determination makes sense when we understand what Harriet believed about her work. She believed God had called her to it.
Before and during dangerous journeys, Harriet prayed. And she listened. She changed plans when she sensed danger. Again and again, she credited God with guiding her.
Her courage wasn’t the absence of fear. Harriet understood exactly what could happen if she were caught. Her courage came from believing there was something more important than her fear.
She knew that freedom was worth the risk. Not only her freedom, but the freedom of others was worth fighting for, too.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Harriet found another way to serve. She worked for the Union Army in several roles, including as a nurse, cook, scout, and spy. Her knowledge, courage, and ability to move through dangerous territory made her especially valuable.
In June 1863, Harriet accompanied Union forces during the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina. She had helped gather intelligence about the area, and during the operation Union forces traveled up the river, destroyed Confederate supplies and plantations, and liberated more than 700 enslaved people.
The woman who had once escaped slavery herself was now helping hundreds of other people step into freedom. However, Harriet’s work didn’t end when the Civil War did. After the war, Harriet settled in Auburn, New York.
She continued caring for family members and people in need. She also supported the movement for women’s suffrage and worked alongside women such as Susan B. Anthony.
Late in her life, Harriet helped establish a home where elderly African Americans could receive care. This part of her story is often overlooked.
We often remember Harriet Tubman running through dark forests, guiding frightened people toward freedom. We remember the Underground Railroad and the Civil War spy. But Harriet spent a lifetime serving people because she believed liberty had to be worked for. She believed it was a principle worth living and dying for.
Episode 8 of Real Cool History for Kids is about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
From Miss Agatha Liberty…
Sometimes courage asks us to step outside of our comfort zone to lead others through danger. Often courage asks us to live out the challenge in John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
This interactive activity packet is designed to help families connect more deeply with the Liberty Lives Here blog series. Through hands-on activities, thoughtful discussion prompts, and creative learning, children explore the lives of Americans whose stories shaped our nation. Each packet encourages families to read together, talk together, and reflect on how faith, character, and everyday choices have played a lasting part in the story of American liberty.
