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Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 4 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.08

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    militia, slavery, elderly, born, running, military, runaway, death, leading, nights, freedom, possible, lead, working, owner, reputation
     content words:    Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad, John Tubman, North Star, Fugitive Slave Act, Civil War, Nelson Davis, New York, Freedom Park

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Harriet Tubman
By Cathy Pearl 		  
1     Harriet Tubman was born a slave around 1820. But she did not stay a slave. Harriet ran away and then helped other slaves make their way to freedom. She is known for being a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
 
2     Tubman's parents were both slaves. This meant that she was a slave as soon as she was born. When she was around five years old, she started working as a house slave. When she was a teenager, she was sent to work in the fields.
 
3     She was always ready to stand up for other people. Tubman tried to protect another slave who was going to be punished for running away. While doing this, she was hit in the head with a two-pound weight. The effects would stay with her the rest of her life.
 
4     In 1844, she married a free black man, John Tubman. In 1849, Tubman was afraid that she was going to be sold. She decided the best thing to do was to run away. She left one night on foot. A white woman helped her first. At night, she followed the North Star. She made it to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There she found work. She also joined an abolitionist group in the city. This group was working to end slavery.

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