- Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) was the greatest "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, an escape route for slaves set up by Abolitionists. A fugitive herself from Maryland to Philadelphia in 1849, she risked some 19 return trips and led out more than 300 others, never losing a "passenger." She was a brilliant and much-copied strategist, who knew that every safe trip to the North and Canada weakened the fabric of slavery economically and psychologically. Rewards up to $40,000 were offered for her capture. She also worked with John Brown on plans to invade the South and free the slaves. During the Civil War she was a nurse, scout, and spy. She lived almost 50 years more, continuing her work for Blacks all her life.
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