Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (c. 1822-1913), born Araminta Ross, was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery in Maryland, she escaped in 1849 and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.

As a child, she was struck in the head by an overseer's metal weight, causing lifelong seizures, headaches, and narcoleptic episodes. Despite this disability, she became one of the most effective conductors on the Underground Railroad, never losing a single passenger.

During the Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the United States Army. She was the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, guiding the raid at Combahee Ferry, which liberated more than 700 enslaved people.

After the war, she was active in the women's suffrage movement and established a home for elderly African Americans. She died in 1913, decades before the civil rights movement she helped inspire.

Her courage was legendary - she carried a revolver on her missions and reportedly told those who wanted to turn back: "You'll be free or die." She remains one of the most recognized symbols of American freedom and resistance.