(Photos from Google Images)
Harriet Tubman, aka "Moses of the Underground Railroad"
Harriet
S. Tubman: Born Araminta
Ross, c. March 1822, Dorchester County, Maryland, U.S.A. Died: March 10, 1913
in Auburn, New York, U.S.A.
During
the early nineteenth century, when slavery was prevalent in the southern United
States, a woman named Harriet Tubman had actually escaped to the north via the
“Underground Railroad.” She decided to do something to help the enslaved individuals find freedom in the northern states and even further north in Canada and earned the title of "Moses" of the Underground Railroad. Eventually, she worked as an
agent for the Union during the Civil War. (American Biography Channel)
Harriet Tubman illustrates the theory of iconic realism in that she was a former slave, physically weakened by the actions of a former slave owner, yet she rose above her horrific circumstances to become a woman on whom many relied to make their way to freedom. Not only that, but the actual government that established the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793, ended up hiring her as an agent for the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Here, we have an iconic figure, placing herself in an environment not usually associated with such a woman, placed in that precarious environment in order to bring about a cultural transformation. In this case, that would be freedom for the enslaved. The most current recognition of this amazing woman is that she had been chosen to represent the United States of America on the new 20 dollar bill, but at this writing, I don't know when that change will occur.
Click on the link below to view a short biography of Mrs. Harriet Tubman
