Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1819 in Dorchester County, Maryland. When she was six years old, she was sent to work; first as a weaver, then as a house slave. Seven years later, Tubman was sent to work in the fields.
Tubman had always subjected to whippings and beatings, but at age 12, she suffered an injury that would affect her for the rest of her life. Tubman was defending another slave who was attempting to escape when a white overseer struck her in the head with a 2 pound weight. Most biographical accounts mention the attack, saying something similar to this:
She never fully recovered from the blow, which subjected her to spells in which she would fall into a deep sleep
In other words, Tubman had epilepsy, an extremely stigmatizing and potentially disabling condition.
Harriet Tubman grew up to be one of famous “conductors” of the Underground Railroad. She escaped from slavery in 1849 and made her way to Philadelphia. From 1850 to 1860, she made 19 trips into the South and helped over 300 slaves reach freedom in the North.
Learn more about Harriet Tubman:
- Harriet Tubman: African American History of Western New York
- Harriet Tubman: Women in History
Photo credit: Library of Congress
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