Born into slavery in Maryland, Harriet Tubman knew first-hand what it felt like to be disrespected and treated like property; she was whipped by owners and nearly killed by an overseer. When she heard about the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman was determined to be free and traveled by herself north to Philadelphia.

She would return to the South many times and help guide dozens of other enslaved people to freedom. As a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War and an activist for women’s rights, Harriet Tubman is proof of what just one person can do.