HARRIET TUBMAN Conductor of the Underground Railroad By Donna Martin
Dec 23, 2015
ObjectivesAfter completing this lesson, the sixth grade students should be able to: Understand the existence of slavery in
America Understand the life and escape of
Harriet Tubman Understand Harriet Tubman’s role in the
Underground Railroad Understand Harriet Tubman’s role in the
Civil War
Materials Needed:
Various informational books on the life of Harriet Tubman
Map of the United States (1850s) Various informational books on slavery Poster paper Pencils/Markers/Colored Pencils
Web Sites
The Underground Railroad www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/html
Harriet Tubman for Children www.2.lhric.org/pocatico/tubman/tubman.html
Harriet Tubman - New York Historyhttp://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman
Web Sites (continued)
Harriet Tubman Historical Society
http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman
Harriet Tubman – The Chosen One
http://www.thechosenone.com/
Student Activities
Research the slave laws of the different states during the early to mid 1800s
Create a character profile of Harriet Tubman
Write letters to governor and legislators persuading them to have a Harriet Tubman Day
Student Activities (continued)
Map Harriet Tubman’s route to freedom on a United States map
Map the different routes of the Underground Railroad on a United States map
Construct a time line of Harriet Tubman’s life
Slavery in the United States
Slavery of African Americans in the United States began as early as 1500 when the first African Slaves were brought to the New World by the Spanish.
Slavery on the rise..
By the time of the Revolutionary War, 10% of the people in America were slaves.
Abolitionist Movement Abolitionist: Anyone who was against
slavery Abolitionists included many kinds of
people: whites and blacks, men and women, rich and poor, and religious and non religious.
Escape!
Ever since slaves were captured, they have always tried to escape.
The rise of the Abolitionist Movement made escape easier.
A Savior is Born…
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1821 in Dorchester County, Maryland
Harriet was one of 11 children. All of Harriet’s brothers and sisters, as well as their parents, were slaves on the Maryland Plantation
Harriet’s Early Years… Harriet began work at age six Harriet was a poor housekeeper, so she
was sent to work outside in the fields At age seven, Harriet tried to escape.
Harriet became tired and hungry and returned to the plantation shortly after her escape.
Time to Run
In 1844, Harriet made the decision to escape.
Harriet’s journey took her to the house of a trusted friend where she was given information about the next safe stop.
Harriet’s Return to Maryland By 1850, Harriet made plans to return to
Maryland to help the rest of her family escape.
Harriet managed to lead the entire family to freedom, including her aging parents.
Harriet Turned Moses Between 1850 and 1860, Harriet made
over 19 trips to the South. Through the Underground Railroad,
Harriet freed over 300 slaves. Harriet received the nickname of Moses
since she led so many to freedom
Most Wanted
Angry slave owners posted rewards of up to $40,000 for Harriet’s capture
Harriet was never captured.
Harriet’s Tricks To avoid capture, Harriet used many
tricks. She dressed as an old woman or a man
Harriet used songs as with secret codes to communicate
Harriet used the North Star to guide her
Harriet, the Spy
Harriet served in the army during the Civil War. She went on several rescue missions. Harriet even worked as a spy.
No More Slavery
In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln.
Slavery was ended in the United States forever!
Harriet’s Later Years
After the war ended, Harriet continued to help people. Harriet fought for the rights of freed slaves and opened a home for the poor