Harriet Tubman
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
In 1850, after settling in Philadelphia, Harriet learned that her niece and two children were going to be sold to another slave master. This was a particularly dangerous time for Harriet and her fellow freedom fighters due to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
The law strengthened the previous Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and required that escaped slaves be returned to their masters, even if they were in a free state.
After Harriet escaped, she tried to get John (her husband) to come with her to Pennsylvania, but he had remarried and refused to leave Maryland. (NOTE: Harriet later married a Civil War veteran after the war.)
The time had come for Harriet to bring her family members to freedom, so she made the risky journey back to Maryland to help her family. Aided by her brother-in-law, Harriet successfully brought her niece and two children back to Philadelphia.
Key Point:
After this first freedom fighter success, Harriet dedicated her life to helping other slaves escape to freedom.
