Her good reputation was once taken advantage of by men who wanted to profit at her expense. Harriet’s brother told her about a money-making plan he had heard about and hoped that with the influential contacts that Harriet had, a profitable venture could be undertaken. Harriet’s interest in doing as much as she could for the well-being of others was well known. Two black men claimed that they had been digging around a plantation and that they had found gold that had been hidden to keep it from being confiscated during the Civil War. It was a well known fact that valuables did have to be buried to keep them safe during the war. They wished to convert the gold into money and promised Harriet that she would receive a sizable portion for her aid. Harriet’s credibility was high, and she was quickly able to convince her supporters of the plan’s worth. She received $2,000 from Anthony Shimer and other Auburn contributors. At the appointed time, she set out with two others to exchange the money for the gold that was “understandably” too awkward to convert in the south where it had been found. Harriet was attacked, becoming separated from the others, and was forcibly bound and gagged. After all of this, neither gold nor money remained. Her dream of opening a home for black people seemed to be lost and her desperation to have adequate and surplus funds made her a victim for this unfortunate scheme.
Perhaps this incident reminded her of her own poverty and mortality, as Harriet Tubman had her last will and testament drawn up, and also met with the local authorities to again try to have her finances improved through her status as a widow. In her statement to C.G. Adams, clerk of the County Court of Cayuga County, New York, she said that she was now the widow of Nelson Davis. She indicated that they were married by Reverend Henry Fowler on March 18, 1869. She also said, “I never had any children nor child by the soldier nor by John Tubman.” She went on to indicate that “He [Nelson Davis] never had any other wife but me.” The affidavit, sworn by Harriet Tubman on November 10, 1894, was created at a time in Tubman’s life when she had been a widow for six years and was likely growing weary of trying to pull funds together all the time.
Harriet still remained active in the community. At over seventy-eight years of age, she was supporting the growth of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, though attending the white Central Church. She attended the National Association of Colored Women’s Conference and was invited to celebrate Queen Victoria’s 1897 birthday party in England. Harriet received a medal and a silk shawl from the Queen, which she treasured. A benefit party was given for her by the suffragettes of Boston, and Harriet used the money raised there, plus the proceeds from the sale of the second edition of her book and money from the citizens of Auburn, to purchase the lot of land next to her house. This became the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes in 1908.
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The End of the Line
Harriet Tubman shortly before her death in 1913.
Courtesy Cayuga County Historian’s Office, Auburn, NewYork.
The once strong and active Harriet became confined to a wheelchair because of the severity of her rheumatism and the frequency of her sleeping spells. She contracted pneumonia and died on March 10, 1913. She was buried at Fort Hill Cemetery with her medal from Queen Victoria. A marble headstone was contributed by the National Association of Colored Women, and Civil War veterans fired a volley over her grave as a tribute to her military service. One year later a posthumous honour was given to her by the city of Auburn in the form of a plaque at the Cayuga County Courthouse.
Listed on her death certificate were her living heirs and relatives, including many Stewarts in Auburn, a Robinson in Buffalo, and these Canadian relatives:
Mary Stewart: a niece who resided in St. Catharines.
Gertrude Thompson: a niece who resided in St. Catharines.
Amanda Gales: a niece who resided in St. Catharines.
Carrie Barnes: a niece who resided in Cayuga, Ontario.
Mary Young: a niece who resided in St. Catharines.
As an additional act of respect, the citizens of Auburn unveiled a plaque on the Cayuga Courthouse dedicated to Harriet Tubman on July 12, 1914, while a tribute was delivered by Booker T. Washington. The Auburn plaque said:
IN MEMORY OF
HARRIET TUBMAN
BORN A SLAVE IN MARYLAND ABOUT 1821
DIED IN AUBUN, N.Y. MARCH 10th, 1913
CALLED THE 'MOSES' OF HER PEOPLE DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WITH RARE COURAGE SHE LED OVER THREE HUNDRED NEGROES UP FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM, AND RENDERED INVALUABLE SERVICE AS A NURSE AND SPY.
WITH IMPLICIT TRUST IN GOD SHE BRAVED EVERY DANGER AND OVERCAME EVERY OBSTACLE, WITHAL SHE POSSESSED EXTRAORDINARY FORESIGHT AND JUDGEMENT SO THAT SHE TRUTHFULLY SAID—
“ON MY UNDERGROUND RAILROAD I NEBBER RUN MY TRAIN OFF DE TRACK AND I NEBBER LOS' A PASSENGER.”
~
THIS TABLET IS ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF AUBURN
1914
In Bucktown, Dorchester County, Maryland, a historical sign marks the spot where Harriet received her head injury long ago — the site of the Bucktown store. In 1944, a Second World War Liberty ship was christened the SS Harriet Tubman by Eleanor Roosevelt as a further honour to the descendants and supporters of Harriet Tubman. In 1978, the U.S. Postal Service issued its first stamp in the Black Heritage USA Series commemorating Harriet Tubman.
The Province of Ontario erected an historical plaque dedicated to Harriet Tubman on the grounds of the St. Catharines branch of the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada in July 1993. This writer was honoured to have been the keynote speaker on this occasion and has participated in all Tubman commemorations since that time. This would include anniversaries, special occasions, and the most recent honour for the Canadian home of Harriet Tubman, the national historic commemoration of Salem Chapel, British Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Catharines as a national historic site by the Government of Canada in May 2011. In ceremonies leading up to the unveiling, government officials, descendants of Freedom Seekers, and relatives of Harriet Tubman joined together to celebrate her achievements and her legacy of inspiration. Work is now being done to have a Canadian Commemorative Stamp issued in honour of Harriet Tubman. The American Presidential Medal of Freedom is also being sought by her supporters.
The Harriet Tubman monument in Boston.
Photograph courtesy Gregory Matthews.
Harriet Tubman’s dedication, commitment, and courage, her ability to “keep on going,” no matter what the obstacles, and her genuine concern for others show her to be a woman who made a difference — to blacks, to abolitionists, and to North American history. Her example compelled others to forge their own freedom train or assert themselves in dynamic ways, because if this woman could succeed, many felt that they could too.
The following priceless narrative was provided by a Canadian descendant of Harriet Tubman. It was kept safely among her family’s personal collection since it is the freedom story of their ancestors. If you map out the route, you will note that it was not direct to the shortest entry point into Ontario from West Virginia, adding to the duration and the stress involved in the escape. It is possible that routes were blocked, or that the freedom seekers needed to travel in the opposite direction to throw off suspicion that they were headed to Canada. You will note the strong motivation of the individuals to be together, to seek each other out, and to live in freedom no matter the cost.
The Underground Railroad escape story of Lucy Canada (born: July 10, 1813) and Steven Street, as told by their daughter Henrietta Street (a Canadian Tubman connection).
My mother was born in Parkers Burgh, W.V. in 1813. Her Father’s name was Arion Keneday and her Mother’s name was Milla Canada. Mother had Two Brothers and One Sister, her name was Melinda, Brothers were, William and George. Their owners name was Barnes Beckwith, he being the son of an English Gentleman, by the name of Sir Jonathon Beckwith, broken down by sporting with horses, hounds and cards, and the old man kept a lot of hounds at that time. Mother often said that they were not treated like slaves,
but she could not bear the thought of not belonging to herself, especially we Three Children. Our names were, as follows: Henrietta Street, Ellen Elizabeth and Andrew Clarke. Clarke was a favored young “Doctor” of the young ladies. The lady was Miss Jane Beckwith, Miss Mary and Mandy and Penelope Beckwith and Two sons, Barnes and Albert, they were all very kind, but that did not suffice. Father belonged to another man, Billy Neil. I have heard him name two or three different ones, Jonas Lewis and Frank Keene, his home (that was Father’s home) was about seven miles from Mother’s. His master was about to sell him when he ran away, travelling under the name of Frank Hammond, fought his way out of the hands of the oppressor and fled to the Land of Freedom, landing in Canada, at Windsor. Father left his Master’s about six weeks before Mother and three children followed him, her two Brothers and a fellow servant named Nero Bansom, he being so white in complexion that he would venture out to the near by houses to seek aid while we lay in a hiding place while he found friends until we arrived at Astibula. There we got on board a schooner and landed at Point Albino, settled in the neighbourhood of Bertie, then Mother advertised for Father and he came at once. Her Brother George came with her and saw her settled but William went to Malden. In a short time we moved near St. Catharines on a farm of one Peter Smith. There they were converted and baptized by Elder Christian of Toronto and became members of the Zion Church in St. Catharines, so in time they moved to Grand River with the intention of making a home there. And here they found the same God that had brought them from the land of bondage and in that humble cabin they erected an altar to the Almighty God to whom they served with Four others, John Taylor, Rosana Allan, Robert Bailey and Kisie Allan. Then at the age of Nineteen, Mother and Father were married, he was Twenty-six years old.
— From the personal collection of Betty Browne, a Canadian descendant of Harriet Tubman
Epilogue
As one of the most successful black women to act as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet was able to guide perhaps as many as three hundred persons in a total of nineteen trips. While there is question about the exact number of persons that she conducted and the exact number of trips made, it remains that through her courageous activity, many others were inspired to attempt to become freedom seekers or freedom leaders for others.
In later life, Harriet Tubman hinted that she may have made more than nineteen rescue missions on the Underground Railroad. It may be that her method of travel involved adjusting her route if she sensed there was a problem. For example, if she saw someone give her a second look or a questioning glance and she was travelling north, she would change her direction and head south since a person seeking freedom would not be heading into the deep south. Harriet may also have doubled back in other directions due to patrols, weather conditions, or due to an expected contact not being available. Finally, while she never lost a passenger, she may have had to remain in hiding for an extended period.
As previously discussed, pro-slavery forces constantly tried to diminish the agency that black people had, instead wishing to see them as deficient as a group. How could this illiterate woman be so able to spirit away their property? Anti-slavery forces, on the other hand, would be more inclined to overstate the effectiveness and activity of the Underground Railroad to affirm the “created equal” idea of all of mankind.
The Underground Railroad was a secret system of people helping people to be free. It remained secret, save for the staunch advocates who had risked their lives to speak out about it, or write about it. For many who were involved, their stories were not recorded or their deeds not fully shared. They were acting on their conscience and may have chosen to go about their efforts quietly and steadily — or may have helped on a single occasion without a full sense of their contribution.
The cessation of the Civil War and the passage of the Amendments did not assuage the fears that some people had about retribution or punishment, and in fact some were charged with breaking the law since providing assistance to a runaway, a fugitive slave, was against the law. Enslaved Africans seeking their freedom were stealing themselves, stealing their labour from their owners, so being a part of this theft was punishable by law. This is the reason that there are few documents to attest to the authenticity of certain places being safe houses, for example, or for objective verification of individuals’ participation.
In the north, abolition took on a religious zeal, with those who were schooled in theology and well versed in the struggles of people to be free that they gave their lives in fighting slavery. It pitted north against south, blacks against some whites, the morally superior to the “others.” It framed the discussion in every household, whether slave owning or not, because slavery permeated society in a broad way. Every time that Harriet was able to secret out a slave, she was breaking the law and she was making an anti-slavery statement. Even if a person was not escorted by Harriet Tubman, that person may have been informed of the linked safe houses or of a trusted contact by Tubman or by other abolitionists or free blacks. Even if the person never met Tubman, the discussions about her success would have fuelled the imagination of freedom seekers and given hope and inspiration to those about to take that bid for freedom.
Her success was the legacy of hope, not how many exact full trips she was able to travel, and not just about the exact number of persons that she conducted personally to St. Catharines. The Tubman legacy is the legacy of the Underground Railroad — a regular person could successfully find freedom in the northern United States or in Canada, an enslaved person could be freed of their bondage. It was the knowledge that it was possible; the reality that there was a place where one could be free. That is why she was named Moses: because she was able to lead her people into freedom, and also perhaps with God’s presence to guide her.
The Underground Railroad was critical for the freedom seekers. It heightened the debate between slave-holding interests and those who promoted abolition. Had Canada not been willing to grant the same rights and privileges to blacks as to members of other groups, and had it not been in such close proximity to the Americans, the chance of any Underground Railroad survivors being in Canada would be scant. Freedom seekers would have had to find their way to other areas, most bounded by broad expanses of ocean and more difficult to navigate.
In the pioneer society of English speaking southern Ontario in particular, conditions supported the entry and security of freedom seekers. The first Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario was an abolitionist. John Graves Simcoe had addressed the issue of Chole Cooley, an enslaved African woman who was forcibly bound and rowed across the Niagara River onto the American side for sale. This produced the first anti-slavery legislation in Ontario to be passed in 1783. While it was a compromise, and only ended the indenture of European workers, it did provide a number of conditions for the eventual abolition of slavery within the British Empire. People in the Niagara region were aware of this precedent and it informed later treatment and acceptance of Africans. However, freedom does not always mean full equality, so it was for this reason that some people chose to return to the U.S. after the end of the Civil War. They also hoped to reunite with family that had not been able to flee.
Many black people were able to express the positive experiences of their freedom in Canada through their writing or speaking engagements. Among them were Mary Ann Shadd, Frederick Douglass, Reverend Samuel Ringgold Ward, William Still, Henry Bibb, and Josiah Henson. They were concerned about highlighting their successes because pro-slavery interests promoted the notion that black peoples could not manage on their own without paternal whites to direct their every move. It was felt that black people would be unable to lead wholesome lives and needed slavery to protect them from themselves. These black abolitionists portrayed the free black community in a positive way, showing that black people were not only competent and capable but also interested in taking care of themselves. Abolitionists travelled throughout the north and the south, speaking wherever they could find an audience, sharing informa
tion about how well the black people in Canada were managing, were thriving, were excelling. They told of the success of the black population in Ontario and these people as a group, but Harriet Tubman in particular, were a beacon of hope to the entire free and enslaved population. If they could do so well in Canada, then surely they could manage in other countries once slavery had ended.
Although there were laws protecting the right of black people under the law in Canada, there were fully entrenched views of black people that were not easily changed. In Canada, black people had to keep fighting for the full expression of their rights and where numbers warranted also opted to create or maintain their own institutions.
While Harriet Tubman is known globally for her efforts to lead people from enslavement to freedom, her role as a commander for the Union Forces is equally significant. Being the first woman to do the reconnaissance, to command a team of eight to ten men, to plan and lead a successful military action may well have given the Union side even more exposure and credibility in the minds of potential recruits, and may have given the Union side the “boots on the ground” that they needed to ensure their victory.
Harriet Tubman Page 11
