Harriet Tubman

1821 – 1913

Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist who escaped slavery in Maryland in 1849 and returned approximately 13 times via the Underground Railroad to lead some 70 enslaved people to freedom, never losing a passenger. During the American Civil War she served as an armed scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army, and in 1863 she led the Combahee River Raid that liberated more than 700 enslaved people in South Carolina—the first U.S. military operation planned and led by a woman. In her later years she became an active campaigner for women's suffrage.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM