Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland, but she escaped to the North, where slavery was illegal. She was a fierce abolitionist and helped others escape slavery.
Tubman was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses that helped enslaved people flee the South. She led many missions to free men, women, and children—including her own family. During the Civil War, she joined the Union Army as a nurse, a cook, and even a spy! Tubman lived a long life and died on March 10, 1913. We observe the day she died as Harriet Tubman Day.