Harriet Tubman.

             Harriet Ross Tubman was born a slave in Dorchester County Maryland, in 1820(or 1821 depending on the source.) There were no records kept about the date of birth of children born into slavery, so there are many guesses that have been listed. She was born with the name Aramita Ross, but her mother"s name, Harriet, became her name as she got older. Before the age of five she was put to work in the house on a plantation, but when she got older she was hired out as a field laborer. When she turned about 11 years old she began to wear Bandanas, as was the custom on plantations, and people started to call her Harriet.1 When she was a teenager (age 15 or 13 depending on sources), Harriet tried to help a runaway slave avoid punishment. She was hit with a lead weight by an overseer unintentionally, sending her into a coma. She did come out of the coma, but her recovery was not complete, for she suffered blackouts from the blow for the rest of her life. The disease we would might say resulted from the blow is narcolepsy. She would sleep and appear to be lazy which, got her in trouble on more than one occasion.2 .

             She escaped Slavery by running to Philadelphia in 1849, after hearing that she would be sold, since the owners of her plantation had died. Harriet at the time, had a husband who was a free man named John Tubman. They were married in 1844 and she was allowed to sleep in his cabin at night. Harriet had mentioned the idea of escaping and John told Harriet that he had no interest in leaving his home in the south. He even threatened Harriet that if she did try and run away, he would tell her master. After Harriet escaped he married another woman. When she came back for her husband, she was confronted by him and he told her he was not leaving. Not at all moved by his reaction, Harriet proceeded to rescue other slaves from the south on that trip. .

             Harriet had planned to escape with her two brothers, since they had heard they might be sold to a southern chain gang.