Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was one of the key figures in the fight against slavery and one of the black slaves who conceived the idea of an egalitarian American society. Her family was born into slavery with accounts stating that her grandmother was from Africa. Harriette Tubman was a religious person of the Methodist church and often received visions and premonitions which she linked to God. With the challenges she was facing during her master’s house, Edward Brodess decided to sell her but no buyer was [1]willing to purchase her. Later Brodess died and she planned for an escape.
Tubman and her brothers decided to run away after being leased to another family. Eliza Brodess, the widow of Edward Brodess never realized their absence. It was only after two weeks that she realized that Tubman and her brothers had escaped, consequently she posted the missing slaves on the Cambridge Democrat and a bounty of a hundred dollars on each slave. Later on, Tubman’s brothers returned and this forced her to return as well. Her second and last escape was well coordinated as she used the underground rail system which was heavily occupied by slaves and white abolitionists who secured her safe passage. Harriet Tubman escaped bondage by crossing into Pennsylvania an account which from her own words was like existence in heaven.
Her career as an abolitionist was born after the historical meeting with John Brown who enjoyed the idea of violence as a tool for abolishing slavery. Tubman never fathomed the idea of violence on whites however, she supported direct action to end slavery. Tubman and the reformers endorsed rebellions by slaves. Moreover, she successfully liberated hundreds of slaves. They even furthered their cause by raising funds to finance a military campaign to free slaves. During the civil war of 1861, Tubman supported the Union because the union was in support of freeing slaves. In the army, she was a “private in the 8th United States Colored Infantry Regiment”. Unfortunately, Harriet Tubman is not involved in any movement such as the black lives matter in this era, but her legacy has left an indelible mark on the lives of black people in the United States who each day fight racism and discrimination.
Sarah Parker Redmond
Sarah Parker Redmond was a free black woman who fought relentlessly to end slavery in the United States. She worked as a lecturer and submitted a speech against slavery at the tender age of sixteen. Parker was a member of the “American Anti-slavery Society”.This was the leading society that advocated for the rights of slaves and women. During her career, she moved to London where she agitated for the end of slavery and studied at Bedford College for Women. She was actively involved in the North-East region of the United States, however, this did not limit her scope as her voice resonated in the conservative south.
Sarah actively involved her family members in the fight against slavery. Her family home received both white and black abolitionists. She belonged to various organizations that fought slavery such as the “Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society”, the “New England Anti-Slavery Society” and the “Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society”. Unlike other abolitionists, Sarah Redmond received financial support from her family during her lecture tours making her a prominent voice. Redmond came to the spotlight when she declined to sit in a racially segregated podium during an opera. The incident led to a court case where she was awarded damages worth five hundred dollars and the theater instructed to dismantle all forms of segregation.
Upon moving to the United States from England she jointed the American Equal rights Association and continued to fight for an equal society. Her contributions center on activism to fight for the end of slavery through her lectures and tours of the United States. The longevity of time has since eradicated some of the associations and movements that Sarah Redmond belonged to. However, her contributions in working for an egalitarian society still resonate with modern-day movements such as the American Civil Rights movements which enjoyed the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr.
William Still
William Still was born to a family of former slaves in New Jersey. His father bought freedom in 1798 in Maryland and later moved to New Jersey in the North. His mother escaped on two occasions from Maryland but was recaptured and taken back to bondage. William’s mother later escaped and joined her husband in New Jersey. She was still a slave but legally acquired freedom under the New Jersey law. William was the youngest of the eighteen children and was born a free man in New Jersey. Unfortunately, William’s two older brothers could not be freed from slavery as they were sold in Lexington Kentucky.
William was a conductor in the Underground rail. He used his position to help more than eight hundred slaves escape slavery. He later worked as a clerk for the “Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery society” becoming an abolitionist. As the chairperson of the Vigilance committee, he aided slaves who had reached Philadelphia. One notable effort during his time in the leadership of the organization was when he helped free Jane Johnson who was a slave to the newly appointed US Minister to Nicaragua John Hill Wheeler. He also lobbied for the abolition of segregation in the Philadelphia transport system which he later achieved in 1865.
Still joined the Colored Conventions Movement where he advocated for equal rights and opportunities in education for black people. He was also a member of the Freedmen’s Aid Union and Commission where he continued to champion the rights of African-Americans. He further joined the Presbyterian Church where he became an elder consequently establishing sabbath schools to promote literacy among the marginalized African-Americans. William Still left a legacy that is alive in the history of the United States of America. He was one of the notable black people who rose into prominence in both activism and commerce. He owned property in Philadelphia and goes down the annals of history as a pacesetter for African Americans.