Harriet Tubman - Conductor of the Underground Railroad: History Kids Series - by Wonderscape Entertainment - Ontario Core Curriculum On-Demand

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LENGTH: 22:18 min

AUDIENCE LEVEL: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

COPYRIGHT: 2016

ONTARIO CURRICULUM: Canadian and World Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities, Social Studies, History, and Geography, Special Awareness Dates and Holidays

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Learn all about Harriet Tubman's early life, social impact, role in the Underground Railroad, later life and lasting, national legacy. Her noteworthy quotes are recounted by "Harriet" herself. Detailed graphics, diagrams, and exciting video, as well as on-screen, multiple-choice reviews at the end of each segment reinforce important concepts and make learning fun.

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Here in the United States of America.
We believe in liberty and equality for all citizens.
These are called our civil rights.
They allow us to speak our minds and to live our lives the way we choose.
Throughout American history, many brave people have fought for the protection of these rights.
They have made our country what it is today.
And this program we're going to focus on just one of these amazing leaders, a remarkable woman named Harriet Tubman.
Harriet Tubman believed in America in which citizens of every skin color have equal rights.
She dedicated her life to achieving this dream.
And today, we're going to learn about how she did it and the marks she left on our country's history.
Harriet Tubman's Early Life.
Let's start from the beginning.
Around 1820 in Maryland, Araminta Harriet Ross was born to Ben.
Ross.
And Harriet Green.
Araminta or Minty, as her family affectionately called her, was one of nine children, which was very hard for her parents because they were both slaves.
Back then, African-Americans were unfairly denied their civil rights. So many had to work as slaves in the South.
Even children like Araminta, who was born into an enslaved family.
She, her father, her mother and her siblings all lived and worked on the Thompson family plantation for the first few years of her childhood.
In 1824, Araminta, her mother and her siblings were taken to a much smaller farm in Maryland owned by Edward Broadus.
There, Araminta began working alone when she was only five years old.
Despite her young age, one of her first jobs is watching after infancy.
But soon after, her work became far more demanding.
For example, Harriet spent many winters waist deep in the freezing cold water of nearby rivers as she trapped muskrats for her owners.
And even as a young girl, Harriet spent much of her time toiling in the fields.
This labor became even more difficult around 1835, when Harriet was punished for her first act of defiance and heroism.
A slave from a nearby farm had strayed from his owner's property, and when his owner came chasing after him, Harriet bravely attempted to protect the slave.
The owner then struck Harriet fiercely in the head with a £2 iron weight, and she nearly died.
Despite the injury, Harriet was forced by her owners to continue working for the rest of her life.
Harriet experienced intense headaches, seizures and other medical issues, but she never let her injury keep her from achieving her goals.
Harriet in her family faced many struggles, but her parents and her siblings taught her the importance of staying strong and never giving up.
They were forced to work in the fields or do chores in the house for no pay, and they lived in a tiny cabin with little food.
The days were long, the work was hard, and the owners were cruel.
But Harriet didn't lose hope.
One of the most difficult challenges of Harriet's childhood was dealing with the division of her family.
Harriet was separated from her father in 1824, when she was only about four years old, and some of her sisters were later sold.
Harriet began to fear that she, too, would be sold far away from the rest of her family.
So in 1849, she finally fled from her owners and followed the North Star to freedom.
Hidden by the cover of night and helped by other escaped slaves and compassionate strangers.
She made it hundreds of miles from her old home in Maryland.
When Harriet first arrived in the North, she was so amazed that she said, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person.
Now, Harriet's goal was to help her family and other slaves escape to the north, the land of freedom.
Wow.
We just learned a lot about Harriet Tubman's early life.
Let's review.
Question one Around what year was Harriet Tubman born?
A 1810.
B 1820.
C 1875.
D 1780.
If you said B, you're correct.
Harriet Tubman was born around 1820.
Question to where did Harriet Tubman grow up?
A Maryland.
B, Georgia.
C, South Carolina.
D Virginia.
The correct answer is a Harriet Tubman grew up in Maryland.
Question three What was one of Harriet's first jobs?
A Washing dishes.
B Chopping wood.
C Selling.
D Caring for infants.
If you said D, you were correct.
One of Harriet Tubman's first jobs was caring for infants.
Harriet Tubman's work for the Underground.
Railroad.
After arriving in Pennsylvania after a long journey.
Harriet said there was no one to welcome me to the.
Land of freedom.
I was a stranger in a strange land.
Harriet was alone and scared, but she knew that she had to be brave to help her friends and family.
So in 1850, she started working for the Underground Railroad.
But this wasn't any normal railroad.
Harriet Tubman never wrote a trade.
Instead, conductors like Harriet led slaves miles and miles by foot from the south to the north.
Abolitionists, people who believe that slavery is wrong and should be illegal.
Banded together with hundreds of runaway and freed slaves to create a series of pathways in stations to help Southern slaves flee to freedom.
And they didn't actually travel underground either.
The railroad got its name because the slaves had to travel in secret.
They were in constant danger of being discovered by slave catchers who would attack them or have them arrested.
This danger increased in 1850 when the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, which stated that if anyone discovered runaway slaves, they had to return the slave to their owners in the South.
Harriet carried a small gun at her side during all of her underground railroad missions to ensure her own safety and to prevent slaves from running back to the South in fear.
Working for the Underground Railroad was extremely dangerous.
But people like Harriet were willing to risk their lives for their belief in freedom and equality.
Harriet Tubman once said There was one of two things I had a right to liberty or death.
If I could not have one, I would have the other to avoid being caught.
These courageous conductors in slaves had to hide in safe houses, walk at night and use secret signals.
For example, one man lit a candle in the window of his home to show that it was safe for slaves to hide there in homes like these.
Slaves would stay in basements or secret compartments in case the house was searched.
Code words were also used to help keep the operations secret, such as Freedom Train, to describe the Underground Railroad baggage, to describe the runaway slaves and Moses to describe Harriet Tubman.
Despite the challenges that runaway slaves and their helpers faced.
It is estimated that by 1860, Harriet had traveled from the south to the north on the railroad more than a dozen times about these achievements.
Harriet said, I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say.
I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger because of her dedication and daring.
Harry is known as one of the best conductors of the Underground Railroad.
Thanks to her, many slaves got to live the rest of their lives in freedom.
She also inspired many more freed and escaped slaves to support the cause.
Overall, the Underground Railroad helped around 100,000 people escape the injustices of slavery.
Let's review what we just learned about Harriet's work from the Underground Railroad.
Question one When Harriet first escaped from slavery, what state did she arrive in?
A New York.
B Maryland.
C, Pennsylvania.
D Vermont.
The correct answer is C Harriet Tubman arrived in Pennsylvania after escaping from slavery.
Question two Why was the railroad described as underground?
A The trains traveled in underground tunnels.
B It was a code word.
C Slaves had to travel secretly.
D To confuse slave catchers.
If you said C You knew that the railroad was described as underground because slaves had to travel secretly.
Question three How many slaves did the Underground Railroad Rescue?
A 100,000.
B 10,000.
C 1 million.
D 1000.
The correct answer is A.
The Underground Railroad rescued 100,000 slaves.
Harriet's Role in the Civil War.
Although Harriet is most famous for her years, working as a conductor of the Underground Railroad.
She did a lot of other amazing things for our country as well.
Harriet was familiar with the South because of her underground railroad rescue missions.
So she became very valuable to the Union Army during the Civil War.
The Civil War began in 1861 and ended in 1865 and was sparked by the debate over slavery.
The Union Army represented the North and was against slavery, which was supported by the Confederate Army in the South.
In 1862, Harriet began working as a spy and a scout for the Union Army.
Harriet was only about five feet tall, which made it easy for her to move through the South unnoticed by slave catchers and Confederate soldiers.
She used her knowledge of the South to travel from town to town, gathering information about Confederate plans.
Unlike many Northerners, she was known and trusted by slaves in the South, so they were willing to help and guide her.
Harry also worked as a cook in South Carolina and tended to the wounds of the Union soldiers as a nurse.
Many soldiers suffered from dysentery.
And Harriet was able to cured them using natural herbs.
Harriet's knowledge and determination as a nurse helped to save many lives.
But Harriet's greatest military achievement occurred in June of 1863, when she became the first woman ever to lead an expedition in the Civil War. Harriet led several gunboats in a group of about 150 Union soldiers up the Columbia River in South Carolina to target Confederate supplies and help rescue slaves.
Harriet gained important knowledge about where the Confederate Army was planning to attack them and was able to guide the slaves and soldiers away from harm.
The mission was incredibly successful, thanks to Harriet's leadership.
It resulted in the liberation of around 700 slaves.
Harriet was indispensable to the Union Army during the Civil War.
Yet she was never fully paid for her services.
For all her work, she only received $200.
She devoted her entire life to the fight for equality and helped others for little compensation.
The only steady income she ever received was her widow's pension after her husband and civil war veteran Nelson Davis passed away.
However, Harriet was recognized for her service at the end of her life.
She was rightfully buried with full military honors.
Let's review what we just learned about Harriet's contribution to the Union Army during the Civil War.
Question one When did Harriet begin working for the Union Army?
A 1850.
B 1873.
C 1862.
D 1889.
The correct answer is.
C Harriet began working for the Union Army in 1862.
Question two What was one of her jobs during the Civil War?
A surgeon?
B General.
C seamstress.
D spy.
If you said D Harriet Tubman was a spy during the Civil War.
You are correct.
Question three What was the name of the river where Harriet led her expedition?
A Mississippi.
B Columbia.
He. C Hudson.
D But tell me if you answered.
B You are correct.
Harriet led her expedition up the Columbia River.
Harriet's later years eventually.
Harriet moved to Albany, New York, where she documented her experiences and continue to dedicate her life to helping others.
The first biography of Harriet called Scenes and the Life of Harriet Tubman was written by Sarah Bradford and published in 1869.
Harriet told her life story to Sarah from her childhood in Maryland.
To escape. To freedom.
To her heroic rescue missions.
To her service during the Civil War.
Harriet also made speeches about her unique life experiences to advocate for equality.
She became a prominent activist, speaking up about issues such as discrimination against both African-Americans and women at the time.
Women were also denied many civil rights, including the right to vote.
After the Civil War, the women's rights movement was born with the goal of gaining these fundamental rights for women.
And Harriet became deeply involved through connections she had made during her years with the Underground Railroad.
Harriet firmly believed that women deserve the right to vote and the right to equality.
And she traveled around Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., giving inspirational speeches in support of the movement.
Even though Harriet never learned to read and never received a formal education, her speeches were said to be powerful and well-spoken.
Harriet focused mainly on the rights of African-American women, and she was known best for her speech, delivered at the first conference of National Association of Colored Women in 1896.
She also helped to raise money and support iconic women rights activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony.
Harriet was essential to the growth of the women's rights movement, but was also devoted to other philanthropic work.
She opened the Harriet Tubman home for the Aged next to her property, which provided shelter and care for elderly African-Americans.
She continued with her activism and humanitarian work until the final years of her life, when the medical issues from her childhood injury worsened.
She eventually had to undergo brain surgery at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was offered anesthesia but refused it instead, chewing on a bullet to handle the pain.
She learned this tactic from soldiers she nursed during the Civil War in her final years. She was admitted to the home named in her memory.
She died in 1913, around the age of 93.
Harriet really did lead an extraordinary life.
Let's review what we just learned about her later years.
Question one Where did Harriet spend her later years?
A New York.
B Pennsylvania.
C New Hampshire.
D South.
Carolina.
If you answered A, you are correct.
Harriet Tubman spent her later years in New York.
Question two What home did Harriet open next to her property?
A Harriet Tubman home for the blind.
B Harriet Tubman home for the poor.
C Harriet Tubman home for the aged.
D Harriet Tubman home for the young.
The correct answer is C Here we open the Harriet Tubman home for the aged next to her property.
Question three Where did Harriet give a famous speech on women's rights?
A The first meeting of the National Association of Colored Women.
B The White House.
C The Seneca Falls Convention.
D Congress.
The correct answer is.
A Harriet Tubman gave a famous speech on women's rights at the first meeting of the National Association of Colored Women.
Harriet Tubman's lasting national legacy.
Harriet Tubman has gone down in our nation's history for her bravery and dedication to the equal rights cause.
We currently have several national monuments erected in her memory, including the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Monument in Maryland that honors Harriet as the Moses of her people.
A statue in Harlem, New York and others.
Here's a fun fact about the memorial statue of Harriet in New York.
It was actually built facing sell as a symbol of Harriet's unwavering compassion.
Harriet escaped her own enslavement by traveling north, but she put her freedom in danger by returning again and again to the south to rescue others.
This was the selfless act of a true leader.
Harriet's courage and kindness are truly timeless.
This is why her name continues to appear in biographies, history, books, movies and museums nearly 200 years after her life.
Harriet was also the first African-American woman to have her name appear on a US liberty ship.
The S.S.
Harriet Tubman was launched in her honor in June of 1944.
She also appears on a U.S.
postage stamp as part of the Black Heritage Series.
She is even featured on our currency.
On April 20th, 2016, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the plan for Harriet to replace Andrew Jackson as the face of the $20 bill, a testament to her lasting national legacy.
Harriet Story reminds us how important it is that we as a nation always defend every citizen's right to a life of liberty and equality.
Let's review what we've learned about Harriet Tubman's legacy.
Question one Where is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad monument located?
A New York.
B South Carolina.
C, Oklahoma.
D, Maryland.
If you said D, you're correct.
The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Monument is located in Maryland.
Question two When was the Harriet Tubman launched?
A 1896.
B 1980.
C 1944.
D 1902.
The correct answer is C The SS Harriet Tubman was launched in 1944.
Question three What was announced on April 20th, 2016?
A The opening of a new Harriet Tubman museum.
B The production of a film about Harriet.
See the placement of Harriet's portrait on the $20 bill.
D The publication of a book about Harriet.
If you said C, then you were correct.
On April 20th, 2016, the placement of Harriet's portrait on the $20 bill was announced.
Thinking question How can we follow in Harriet Tubman's footsteps by promoting and protecting equal rights for all in today's world.

Transcripts:
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Grade/Subject	Course/Section	Strand	Expectations
Special Awareness Dates and Holidays	Black History Month (February)	n/a	n/a
Grade 7 / Social Studies, History, and Geography	History	B. Canada, 1800-1850: Conflict and Challenges	B3. Events and Their Consequences B3.1 identify factors contributing to some key events and/or trends that occurred in and/or affected Canada between 1800 and 1850 (e.g.,...establishment of the Underground Railroad, ...)
Grade 11 / Canadian and World Studies	CHA3U American History CHA3U	C. The United States, 1791-1877	C2. Communities, Conflict, and Cooperation
Grade 12 / Social Sciences and Humanities	HSE4M Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice HSE4M	C. Addressing Equity and Social Justice Issues	C1. Historical and Contemporary Issues

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