On September 17, 1849, Harriet Tubman, then known as Araminta “Minty” Ross, made her first attempt to escape slavery from the Brodess plantation in Maryland.
She was just 27 years old when she escaped with two of her brothers, Ben and Henry, who joined her on the perilous journey northward.
Tubman had long contemplated freedom, fearful that she would be sold deeper into the South. Taking advantage of the night, she and her brothers fled, likely using backwoods paths to avoid slave catchers and dogs.
Their destination was Pennsylvania, where slavery had been abolished. The risk could have cost them their lives, as being caught meant brutal punishment or sale.
The journey, however, did not go as planned. Tubman’s brothers became fearful about the danger and their futures. They decided to turn back, forcing Tubman to return with them. This was a crushing disappointment, but it did not end her quest for freedom. Shortly afterward, Tubman escaped again, this time alone, and successfully reached Philadelphia.
This solo journey marked the beginning of her extraordinary life’s work as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad.
Tubman’s determination would go on to return to Maryland at least 13 times, rescuing some 70 enslaved people and steering them to liberation.
