America’s newest general lived more than a century ago. She was the first woman to lead an American military raid. She spent years saving others. She risked her life many times.
On Veteran’s Day, Harriet Tubman was posthumously (after death) given the rank of general. She became a one-star brigadier general in Maryland’s National Guard. Dozens of people gathered for the ceremony. They met in Maryland’s Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park. Mrs. Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece, Tina Wyatt, attended.
“Aunt Harriet . . . gave up any rights that she had obtained for herself to be able to fight for others,” says Ms. Wyatt. “She is a selfless person.”
Born in 1822, General Tubman grew up in slavery. She escaped Maryland at 27 years old. She fled north to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She could have enjoyed her freedom in safety. Instead, she became an abolitionist. That’s someone who fights against slavery.
General Tubman went back to the South at least 13 times. She rescued 70 or more enslaved people. She also was part of the Underground Railroad. This wasn’t an actual railroad. It was a secret network of people and places. Enslaved people could follow the path to freedom.
Many people know this part of General Tubman’s story. But they might not know she also served the Union Army during the Civil War.
She had important wartime skills. She became a scout, spy, and nurse. In South Carolina, she guided 150 soldiers on a raid. They helped hundreds of enslaved people escape.
“She knew that in order to do the work, that meant that she had to go into the lion’s den,” says Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “She knew that leadership means you have to be willing to do what you are asking others to do.”
General Tubman’s story shows what good leadership is. She didn’t just talk about helping others. She put her words into action. Then she led others to do the same.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. — 1 John 3:18
Recommended reading: To learn more about the Underground Railroad, read Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter.
