HARRIET TUBMANConductor of the Underground Railroad

By

Donna Martin

UNIT: The Underground Railroad

GRADELEVEL: Sixth

LESSON: Harriet Tubman

ObjectivesAfter completing this lesson, the sixth grade students should be able to: Understand the existence of slavery in

America Understand the life and escape of

Harriet Tubman Understand Harriet Tubman’s role in the

Underground Railroad Understand Harriet Tubman’s role in the

Civil War

Materials Needed:

Various informational books on the life of Harriet Tubman

Map of the United States (1850s) Various informational books on slavery Poster paper Pencils/Markers/Colored Pencils

Web Sites

The Underground Railroad www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/html

Harriet Tubman for Children www.2.lhric.org/pocatico/tubman/tubman.html

Harriet Tubman - New York Historyhttp://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman

Web Sites (continued)

Harriet Tubman Historical Society

http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman

Harriet Tubman – The Chosen One

http://www.thechosenone.com/

Student Activities

Research the slave laws of the different states during the early to mid 1800s

Create a character profile of Harriet Tubman

Write letters to governor and legislators persuading them to have a Harriet Tubman Day

Student Activities (continued)

Map Harriet Tubman’s route to freedom on a United States map

Map the different routes of the Underground Railroad on a United States map

Construct a time line of Harriet Tubman’s life

Slavery in the United States

Slavery of African Americans in the United States began as early as 1500 when the first African Slaves were brought to the New World by the Spanish.

Slavery on the rise..

By the time of the Revolutionary War, 10% of the people in America were slaves.

Abolitionist Movement Abolitionist: Anyone who was against

slavery Abolitionists included many kinds of

people: whites and blacks, men and women, rich and poor, and religious and non religious.

Escape!

Ever since slaves were captured, they have always tried to escape.

The rise of the Abolitionist Movement made escape easier.

A Savior is Born…

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1821 in Dorchester County, Maryland

Harriet was one of 11 children. All of Harriet’s brothers and sisters, as well as their parents, were slaves on the Maryland Plantation

Harriet’s Early Years… Harriet began work at age six Harriet was a poor housekeeper, so she

was sent to work outside in the fields At age seven, Harriet tried to escape.

Harriet became tired and hungry and returned to the plantation shortly after her escape.

Time to Run

In 1844, Harriet made the decision to escape.

Harriet’s journey took her to the house of a trusted friend where she was given information about the next safe stop.

Free At Last!

By moving from safe house to safe house, Harriet made her way north to freedom.

Harriet’s Return to Maryland By 1850, Harriet made plans to return to

Maryland to help the rest of her family escape.

Harriet managed to lead the entire family to freedom, including her aging parents.

Harriet Turned Moses Between 1850 and 1860, Harriet made

over 19 trips to the South. Through the Underground Railroad,

Harriet freed over 300 slaves. Harriet received the nickname of Moses

since she led so many to freedom

Most Wanted

Angry slave owners posted rewards of up to $40,000 for Harriet’s capture

Harriet was never captured.

Harriet’s Tricks To avoid capture, Harriet used many

tricks. She dressed as an old woman or a man

Harriet used songs as with secret codes to communicate

Harriet used the North Star to guide her

Railroad Expansion Over time, several routes were

developed to travel North to freedom.

A Nation Divided

By 1861, the issue of slavery divided the entire nation. The Civil War had begun

Harriet, the Spy

Harriet served in the army during the Civil War. She went on several rescue missions. Harriet even worked as a spy.

No More Slavery

In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln.

Slavery was ended in the United States forever!

Harriet’s Later Years

After the war ended, Harriet continued to help people. Harriet fought for the rights of freed slaves and opened a home for the poor

Harriet Remembered

Harriet died in 1913. She was 93 years old.

Today, many tourists still visit her home still visit her home

in New York.