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Art History: Harriet Tubman
The above artwork is of a heroine lady in the slave trade, Harriet Tubman, who rescued thousands of slaves and freed them (History. Com Editors, para 1). The Slave trade that began in the 16th century transported millions of Africans through the Atlantic Ocean to America (History. Com Editors, para 1). Africans would be exchanged with other precious goods from America (Marques, Leonardo, p.650). Slaves would work in plantations and as housemaids. The slaves worked under harsh conditions as they had no time to rest and also were treated harshly. Slaves had no right to air their views or interact freely with whites. It was during this time of the slave trade that Harriet Tubman was born.
Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland by her slave parents (History. Com Editors, para 1). Her real name was Araminta Ross which she later changed to Harriet after her mother. Tubman was the name of her first husband. Harriet grew in slavery and became a slave who was very resistant at the age of twelve (Bradford, Sarah, p 30). In Maryland, the lines between slavery and freedom were not clear as some family members were free while others were slaves (Bradford, Sarah, p 30). Her woes began at the age of five when she was rented out to work as a nursemaid (History. Com Editors, para 2). One would not work in one position for long, and they would be moved to other stations, for instance, from domestic chores to plantations (History. Com Editors, para 3). When Harriet became of age, she married a free black man, Tubman (Bradford, Sarah, p 50). During that time, she learned that her father’s owner had left a will to free him, but his current owner refused to set him free, which triggered Harriet to plan an escape. Harriet was set for either liberty or death (Bradford, Sarah, p 55). She was determined to end slavery and live as a freeborn. The escape journey was the hardest to make as those caught helping the slaves escape were severely punished.
Historical Qualities
Harriet escaped from slavery in 1849 where with the help of the Underground Railroad, she traveled to Pennsylvania in the north (History. Com Editors, para 5). After the escape, she joined the Underground Railroad to rescue the other slaves and her family. She operated as the Underground Railroad conductor. The white and black abolitionists who had established Underground Railroad would provide Harriet with food and safe houses to rescue slaves. The activities in the Underground Railroad were conducted unnoticed. In 1850, a law was passed by Slave Fugitive Act to capture and enslave freed slaves into the north.
Additionally, hefty promises were made to who would capture and return Harriet to her owners. Harriet had to change her route and ended further north to Canada, taking the escaped slaves. The gun in her hands in the artwork was for her safety and to scare her followers, changing her mind. She had also crafted other safety means like drugging the children to keep them silent and avoid being heard and ambushed, which might have ended her countless trips (History. Com Editors, para 5). During her endeavors, she joined other abolitionists and established her underground railroad.
In 1861, Harriet treated sick soldiers and fugitives during the civil war as she also knew herbal medicine (Bradford, Sarah, p 150). She later advanced and became a spy and continued to liberate slaves. Harriet was highly qualified to be a spy because she had learned towns and safe transportation routes through the Underground Railroad. As a spy, she would show military troops routes as she was conversant with the safe routes where she used to escape the slaves, and also she could sport supply lines where she helped the slaves get food and shelter. Additionally, she employed these freed slaves. The liberated slaves later formed black union regiments to counter-fight slavery.
After the war, Harriet continued with her mission to help the freed slaves to earn a living and build their lives (Bradford, Sarah, p 200). She would receive help from other philanthropists, which helped her continue helping the freed slaves. Additionally, Harriet bought land, developed, and kept her aged parents and other freed slaves (History. Com Editors, para 7). She went ahead and joined the women’s suffrage movement for their quest to have the right to vote. Women during this time had no right to vote or even to own property. Women were taken as man’s property and put them in homes to bear children and take care of the house. Having the right to vote was such an achievement as it would allow women to air their views and concerns. She worked beside Fredrick Douglass during Underground Railroad operations and, later, Susan Anthony in the women’s suffrage (History. Com Editors, para 6). With her endless efforts, she raised money and bought the land where she built a home for aged and needy people of color and named it after her 1896 (History. Com Editors, para 6). She continued with her work until 1911, when a head blow she suffered got the best of her and moved to the home she had built for the aged (Bradford, Sarah, p 250). The blow that had broken her skull resulted from a heavyweight that hit her as she tried to stand between a master and a slave. Harriet would not stand to see another enslaved person being harshly treated without doing anything (History. Com Editors, para 7). It was in 1913, where pneumonia claimed her life.
Harriet left a rich legacy and is counted as one of the black heroines in the world. The Harriet Tubman art was done by freedom art, and other artists have taken an interest in her good work. Liberty Ships have also been named after Harriet during the Second World War. Additionally, during the twenty-dollar bill, the United States’ treasury announced that the image of former president and slave owner Andrew Jackson would be replaced with Harriet Tubman’s (History. Com Editors, para 9). Though the process was delayed during the former president Trump administration, the new administration under president Bidden promised to speed up the design process.
The transatlantic slave trade, termed as the largest forced migration in human history, could not have ended without Harriet Tubman’s likes. The slave trade ended in 1807 due to the Haitian rebellion (Marques, Leonardo, p.990). The enslaved could not stand the mistreatment any longer and had to air their voices. The slave trade was brutal and human, and it was against the will of God. During the Haitian revolution in the 18th century, many countries gave in and ended the slave trade (Marques, Leonardo, p.950). The Haiti rebellion was remarkable as it coincided with the French revolution’s uprising and retaliation of enslaved communities in British colonies. Harriet Tubman will remain an iconic woman even in generations to come. She is a strong woman who is not egocentric. It is hard for anyone to volunteer to undergo pain for the sake of others. Harriet Tubman’s actions would give the other slaves hope that they would attain freedom someday, which later happened.
Works Cited
Bradford, Sarah H. Scenes in the life of Harriet Tubman. E-artnow, 2018.
History. Com Editors. Harriet Tubman, 2021. Accessed on 6th March 6, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harriet-tubman
Marques, Leonardo. The United States and the transatlantic slave trade to the Americas, 1776-1867. Yale University Press, 2016.