Tag Archives: Harriet Tubman

Harriet – A Courageous African-American Woman

Twasn’t me, ’twas the Lord! I always told Him, ‘I trust to you. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I expect You to lead me,’ an’ He always did.     Harriet Tubman

We interrupt this series on African-American women with an exciting announcement! For the past several months we have been relating the stories of remarkable black women in America. We began with the stories of 18thand 19thcentury African-American women. Some were born as slaves and some were born free. All of these women were courageous examples of what can be done by a woman who does not let her circumstances dictate to her. These women rose above many hardships including poverty, illness, prejudice, internal conflicts, and the limitations of their times to follow their call from God and affect the lives of many other people for good. Why were they able to live in a realm above their circumstances? It is because they all received strength from God. They all answered the call in their lives to help others.

One of the most amazing of these women who really exemplified this description was Harriet Tubman. Several weeks ago (October 24, 2019) we did a story on Harriet on this blog. Recently, my husband and I went to see the movie, “Harriet”. I highly recommend this film. 

Harriet

First of all, I want to say that the movie was beautifully photographed. The plantation buildings, costumes, and background were all historically accurate. I think a movie is great when I can put myself into the picture and feel as if I’m really there. If I can imagine myself there listening to and responding with the characters, then the movie is well done. This is especially true when the focus is on the character as well as the story, as this one is.

Not only was the setting and background of this production engaging, but the actor who portrayed Harriet (Cynthia Erivo) was very genuine. Movies can be completely ruined when the audience sees the actor and not the character. Cynthia Erivo unselfishly left herself in the background and made the incredible character of Minty/Harriet come shining through. All of the actors in Harriet did a fine job of portraying the individual they were representing. I think that says something about the fine directing as well. 

The film focused on Harriet Tubman and demonstrated what a life of courage and tenacity can do to make life better for those who have the faith to pursue it.

Brief synopsis

The movie opens with a scene that takes place in the yard in front of the plantation mansion of Master Brodess. The slaves, Araminta “Minty” Ross, her parents, her free husband, John Tubman, and others are attending a church service led by a newly freed-man, Rev. Green. After the service, John and Ben Ross respectfully request that Master Brodess honor Brodess’s dead father’s wishes to free Ben’s wife and children after a certain age. Brodess refuses. Minty prays and asks God to retaliate against Brodess. Brodess dies sometime later. Brodess’s son, Gideon, who had a fondness for Minty when they were children decides to sell her. 

Minty does not want to leave her family. She has recurring dreams and visions and one of the most wounding for her is the one where her siblings are being sold to other plantations. As often happens  when the family is separated, Minty realizes that she may never see some of her sisters and brothers again. Minty decides to run away rather than be sold. She journeys more than 100 miles to freedom in Pennsylvania. While there she takes a new name – Harriet Tubman – Harriet for her mother and Tubman for her husband. 

Minty loved her new freedom and wanted to share it with others. She also hoped to rescue some of her family. She went to work for the Underground Railroad. The movie continues with the story of how she rescued many slaves using the underground railroad and eventually served during the Civil War rescuing over 200 more runaway slaves. Throughout this time Gideon Brodess tries to capture her. He hires seasoned slave hunters but Minty, now Harriet, manages to escape claiming all the while that it is with God’s help.

Comments

There are many things that stand out in this exceptional movie, but I want to focus on Harriet’s faith. I will also make some comments on how slavery was depicted in this movie.

Harriet – Throughout the entire movie we see that Harriet has a deep faith and trust in God. She made no apology for that. Her parents raised her in the Christian faith and in spite of the way that the Bible was sometimes used to justify slavery she never wavered from her belief in God. 

Since she was a young girl, Harriet had experienced visions and dreams. She was able to discern the voice of God Who was warning her of danger and telling her how to escape. Sometimes Harriet would slip into a trance putting her at risk if she was discovered laying helplessly on the ground. Many questioned her spirituality, including her brother who thought she was insane. He changed his mind when the information she received in a vision led them to safety. 

The slaves had given Harriet the name “Moses” because she rescued and led people to a better land. The film depicts Harriet sneaking back down to Maryland and calling the people that she will rescue by singing portions of Negro spirituals. This is evidence in fact that many slaves had adopted the Christian faith. Harriet rescued so many slaves that a reward was put out for her capture, but she refused to give up. In the film, she tells a gathering of people at the Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia, who would try and convince her to be cautious, that she would “give every last drop of blood in my veins to free them.” 

I won’t give any more away. Please go see the movie. You will witness the incredible courage and heroism and a woman who was determined to follow God by helping others, keeping true to her motto “I’ma be free or die!”

Slavery– The film does a good job of depicting slavery without resorting to the violence that we often see in other movies (such as 12 Years a Slave). Yet, in this movie there are still several ways that we witness the horrors of slavery. Once when Harriet is bathing, we see the scars on her back. Other men and women are portrayed with wounds and brands. We see that abuse also comes in the form of rape when Harriet’s former owner, Gideon and a slave hunter share stories about the number of women they had sex with. And there is emotional abuse too; when we see the separation of family members movingly portrayed. 

But, one of the most abusive things about slavery for me is how the Bible was used to “prove” that slavery is condoned by God. The film depicts this by starting right out with a scene where the owner was holding a mandatory church service for the slaves. Reverend Green (who later gives Minty invaluable help when she escapes) is giving a condescending sermon where he quotes Colossians 3:22, “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” The sermon is meant to appease the master and his wife who are listening. It is a good cover for Rev. Green who is really helping slaves to escape. And we know as Harriet says later, “God don’t mean people to own people.” 

Conclusion– Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, New York on March 10, 1913 at age 93 (91 according to the film). She led a life that made a difference to many people. Harriet accomplished much in spite of illness, threats, poverty, and danger all around her. Her childlike faith and determination are an example for us all. One of her final comments reinforces the character of Harriet as a courageous warrior and leader for God.

“I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:3). 

African-American Women in America – Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman- A Moses to her People

For the past several months we have been relating the stories of remarkable black women in America. We began with the stories of 18thand 19thcentury African-American women. Some were born as slaves and some were born free. All of these women were courageous examples of what can be done by a woman who does not let her circumstances dictate to her. These women rose above many hardships including poverty, illness, prejudice, internal conflicts, and the limitations of their times to follow their call from God and affect the lives of many other people for good. Why were they able to live in a realm above their circumstances? It is because they all received strength from God. They all answered the call in their lives to help others.

“I’ll meet you in de mornin’,
When you reach de promised land;
On de oder side of Jordan,
For I’m boun’ for de promised land.”

We recently watched “The Ten Commandments” a movie with Charlton Heston. It was made in the 1950’s when it was still ok to talk about the Bible in a movie in a positive way. The nearly four-hour movie told the story of Moses and the rescue of God’s people during the Exodus from Egypt.

We don’t know why God allowed His people to bear cruel slavery for four hundred years before sending a deliverer and rescuing them. We must not run the danger of accusing God for the evil that sinful men are doing. We do not know how even in this country we could have allowed the evil of slavery to continue for so long. We can express our sorrow but look back with thankfulness for the people that God raised up to work in their own way to end the oppression.

One woman who did just that was Harriet Tubman, the little lady who rescued three to four hundred slaves in the mid-nineteenth century, earning the title – a “Moses to her people”. Harriet would not blame God for any hard circumstances but instead she would acknowledge that her difficult upbringing prepared her for the tasks ahead of her when she followed her calling to rescue slaves.

Born Araminta Ross around 1820 to Benjamin Ross and Harriet Greene, both slaves, she later took her mother’s name, Harriet. She took her husband’s name when she married John Tubman.

Harriet was born in Maryland and had ten brothers and sisters. She was later able to rescue many family members and her parents, who retired in New York on property that Harriet purchased for them.

When Harriet was six years old she was sent to live with the James Cook family and learn the trade of weaving. Her mistress was cruel. James Cook sent her out to check muskrat traps, and so she had to wade in water. Already ill from measles she grew very sick and was eventually sent home.

When she was in her teens she worked as a field hand. While working for that farmer she received a wound to her head that would affect her for the rest of her life. The farm overseer was trying to punish a disobedient slave and threw a two-pound weight at him which fell short and hit Harriet, cracking her skull. It took her a long time to recover from this and for the rest of her life she was subject to sleeping spells. At times a sort of stupor would come over her even in the midst of a conversation and she would need to sleep. This would give the appearance of laziness or stupidity, but Harriet would show that she really had a fine mind and a courageous strength.

After this Harriet worked for John Stewart. She did many jobs usually given to men, such as cutting and hauling wood. Here she built up the incredible strength that would later allow her to do such things as carry grown men through the water to their safety.

Harriet married a free “colored” man named John Tubman around 1844. They had no children.

In 1849, she and some other slaves were to be sold. She determined not to be sold and so one night she just walked away. Eventually she arrived in Philadelphia where a white woman befriended her and she got a job. She saved her money and two years after her own escape from slavery she went south to rescue her husband. She found him living with another woman and unwilling to take her back. This did not stop her from her plan of rescuing other family members. She just moved on trusting in the Lord.

Between 1852 and 1857 she made many journeys to the south rescuing many people. It was during this time that people began to call her “Moses”, a name she retained for the rest of her life. She rescued so many people that a reward was put out for her capture.

Let’s don’t forget that a Fugitive Slave Law had been passed, making it a crime for people to help slaves escape. Harriet had to find ways to get the rescued slaves all the way to Canada since even many Northerners would not help for fear of getting fined or arrested for breaking the law. Many Christians would say that Harriet should not have defied the government because of what it says in Romans 13 about obeying all those in authority over us (see Romans 13:1). That is a subject for another post in the future, but for now let us not judge her conscience. Slavery is evil and the Lord helped Harriet to rescue many people.

Harriet was able to discern the voice of the Lord speaking to her, warning her and giving her guidance. Because of this she was able to avoid capture many times. She said that she always knew when danger was near though she didn’t understand quite how exactly, but “pears like my heart go flutter, flutter,” and she would know that something bad was going to happen.

One example of this was a time when Harriet was going back north and she had a premonition that told her to turn aside and cross a stream. The stream was swollen in that place and she did not know how deep it was. She obeyed the whispered warning in her head and stepped in to cross the water. The men that were with her hung back, but when they saw that the water was only up to her chin, they followed her and all of them safely crossed the stream. Later they found out that there was a party waiting down the road to arrest her and if she hadn’t crossed the stream she would not have escaped.

Another time Harriet fell asleep in a park beneath a notice that was offering a reward for her capture! Of course, Harriet couldn’t read and had no idea of the irony until some friends found her and told her.

Because she was on the run, Harriet slept in wet swamps or in potato fields where she could lie hidden. Besides the obvious risk to her health there was always danger of being spotted. But the Lord always rescued her, sometimes through friends or by her own wits. And Harriet always gave the credit to God. When someone would express surprise at her boldness and daring she would reply, “Don’t I tell you, Missus, ’twasn’t me, ’twas de Lord!”

All through the War Between the States Harriet rescued slaves and nursed wounded soldiers. She was never paid for her efforts. Harriet remained poor for the rest of her life but she never complained.

Harriet died on March 10, 1913, in Auburn, New York at around the age of ninety-three!  All through her life she had depended on the Lord and God had never disappointed her trust in Him.

Her life is an example of what can be done, even in the most horrible of circumstances, when a person does not give up or give in. Harriet’s attitude in life made all the difference in the world. Here we sit in our comfort and can’t seem to find time to help those around us. Harriet accomplished much in spite of illness, threats, poverty, and danger all around her. Her childlike faith and determination are an example for us all.