Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross, c. 1822 – 1913) was an American abolitionist and humanitarian whose courage made her a legendary figure in the fight against human bondage. Born into chattel slavery in Maryland, she endured brutal physical violence before escaping to Philadelphia in 1849.

Rather than remaining in safety, Tubman repeatedly risked her life returning to the South over a decade, guiding dozens of family members and strangers to freedom along the Underground Railroad without ever losing a single passenger. During the American Civil War, she served the Union Army as an armed scout and spy, becoming the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Combahee River Raid, which liberated over 700 enslaved people. In her later years, she became an active advocate for women's suffrage.