The 18th-century commercial revolution and the surge in slave trading
The 18th-century commercial revolution in America resulted in a surge in slave trading. People were captured in Africa and made to work for Americans in the cotton and tobacco industries. Slavery existed in America until the 19th century when campaigns began to advocate for the abolition of slavery (Petry, n.p).
The role of Harriet Tubman in the fight against slavery and racial justice
Harriet Tubman was one of the people born into slavery in Maryland. To combat segregation and racial injustice, she participated in abolitionist brutality, Underground Railroad rebuilding, and black military service during the Civil War. This paper will explain how the life of Harriet Tubman influenced the fight against slavery and racial justice in the nineteenth century.
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman escaped from Maryland and went to the North where she could get freedom. She was one of the most active participants in the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a movement that was helping slaves from the south by providing food and shelter to them. The evolution of the Underground Railroad was involved in African Americans as well as whites. Harriet returned to the plantations after a successful escape to help other slaves to escape (Petry, n.p). Harriet Tubman acted as the conductor of the Underground Railroad. She helped other Africans escape from slavery in South America and led them safely to the states of North America, which were free. They used to hide slaves in safe places such as the church, private homes, and schools. Helping a slave to escape was a dangerous activity, but Tubman risked her life to free slaves. The people who supported slavery tried to capture her because she was a slave and was helping other slaves escape from slave states. She preferred taking the slaves to Canada because she did not trust people in the United States of America.
Harriet Tubman and the abolitionist movement
Harriet Tubman took part in the abolitionist movement. Abolitionism was a movement in the United States of America whose aim was to end slavery in America. Harriet was an abolitionist because she rescued 300 slaves from bondage. The objective of the movement was to free slaves in America and end the slave trade. Harriet Tubman acted as an abolitionist before the American Civil war. She was against the slave trade and worked hard to free slaves in Southern America. Abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman became active in politics in 1830 and acted as lecturers, petitioners, meeting organizers, and were engaged in media (Oertel, n.p). Abolitionists consisted of black and white Americans who worked together to end slavery in the United States. However, in the 1840s, the black and white abolitionists differed in philosophy because the whites focused on ending the slave trade only, yet African Americans also wanted racial justice.
Harriet Tubman's involvement in the Civil War
In the nineteenth century, there was a period of reconstruction, which played a crucial role in the history of American civil rights. Restoration occurred in America after the Civil War. Tubman played a role in the reconstruction of America. She took care of the elderly because they could not support themselves. He acquired a piece of land from the money he received from the church and support from the local bank and built a house for the elderly (Hobson, 197). She donated the same property to the church on condition that it would remain the house for the elderly. She also supported the women's rights movement, attended meetings, and gave speeches concerning human rights. Her focus was on the rights of African American women, she toured New York, Boston, and Philadelphia advocating for the rights of women. Harriet urged the government to compensate her for the services she had offered during the civil war, but her applications failed.
Harriet Tubman as a nurse, cook, and spy during the Civil War
Harriet Tubman also played a role in the civil war. Tubman worked as a nurse, cook, and spy during the civil war. Her experience in the Underground Railroad enabled her to be familiar with the terrain of the land, which she used to guide the soldiers. She assigned a group of former slaves the task of hunting for rebel camps and reporting the movement of soldiers. She took care of the soldiers by offering health care services; for example, he helped people who were infected with tuberculosis (Gold, 2015). TB had become so common at that time, and many people died from the disease. Tubman used herbal medicine to treat sick soldiers, hence saving their lives. Harriet also spied for the soldiers and gave them information about their enemies. She also told them when the enemies were attacking them. The services Harriet provided to the soldiers enabled them to defeat their enemies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Harriet Tubman influenced people to fight against slavery and the struggle for racial justice. She took part in the Underground Railroad movement that rescued enslaved people from South America and took them to the North where there was freedom. The Underground Railroad movement was a risky activity, so Harriet risked her life for the sake of saving others. She was part of the abolitionists who advocated for the abolishment of slavery. Harriet also empowered women to fight for their rights. She attended meetings and delivered speeches to empower African American women. Harriet also helped the elderly who could not support themselves. Besides that, Harriet participated in the civil war by offering health services and food to the soldiers. She also spied for the soldiers and provided them with information that was useful in facilitating the war. Harriet was a role model for other black Americans and motivated them to free themselves from slavery.
Works cited
Gold, Susan Dudley. "Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad." Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC, 2015.
Hobson, Janell. "Of 'Sound' and 'Unsound' Body and Mind: Reconfiguring the Heroic Portrait of Harriet Tubman." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 40.2 (2019): 193-218.
Oertel, Kristen T. "Harriet Tubman: Slavery, the Civil War, and Civil Rights in the 19th century." Routledge, 2015.
Petry, Ann. "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the underground railroad." Open Road Media, 2015.
