Harriet Tubman c. March 1822 – March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist, political activist, liberator, nurse, war hero, and human rights advocate whose relentless fight for freedom left an indelible mark on American history.

Born Araminta Ross into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, she endured brutal conditions before making her daring escape in 1849. Settling in Philadelphia, she changed her name to Harriet, honoring her mother, and soon embarked on a life dedicated to liberating others. Risking her own freedom, Tubman returned to Maryland at least 13 times, rescuing approximately 70 enslaved people through the Underground Railroad, earning her the code name “Moses” for leading her people to freedom.

As the Civil War erupted, Tubman’s fight for freedom extended beyond the Underground Railroad. She worked for the Union Army, first as a nurse, then as a scout and spy, providing crucial intelligence. Between 1862 and 1865, she was active in Beaufort County, South Carolina, working with the U.S. Army’s Department of the South as part of the Port Royal Experiment–which included Historic Mitchelville, an effort to help newly freed people transition to self-sufficiency.

Her most famous military action came on June 2, 1863, when she led the Combahee River Raid, partnering with Colonel James Montgomery and the Second South Carolina Volunteers, a regiment of Black soldiers. Under cover of night, Tubman helped guide three Union gunboats up the Combahee River, targeting Confederate plantations and freeing more than 750 enslaved people—making her the first woman to lead an armed expedition in U.S. military history. Many of the formerly enslaved immediately joined the Union Army, while 100–300 of those rescued settled in Mitchelville, the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people on Hilton Head Island.

While in Beaufort County and Mitchelville, Tubman also helped Black women monetize their trade skills, ensuring that formerly enslaved families could build sustainable livelihoods. Despite her service as a soldier, strategist, and liberator, Tubman was never formally compensated for her contributions to the war effort. Though she later received a government pension, it was only granted through her marriage to a Black Union soldier rather than for her own heroic service.  On Veteran’s Day in 2024, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland National Guard posthumously awarded Tubman the rank of brigadier general to officially recognize Tubman for her military service to the U.S. and Maryland.

After the war, Tubman continued her advocacy, becoming a leader in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and dedicating herself to supporting formerly enslaved and elderly individuals. She established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in Auburn, New York, where she spent her later years ensuring that others received the care and dignity they deserved.

Today, Harriet Tubman’s courage, resilience, and unwavering fight for freedom make her one of the most enduring figures in American history. Her legacy is honored in Mitchelville and beyond, where the echoes of her work remain a testament to the power of justice, leadership, and self-determination.