How did Harriet Tubman lead so many slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad ? With careful provision , plenty of luck , and a small opium .
“ I never run my railroad train off the track , and I never lose a passenger”—so boasted Harriet Tubman , the most successful music director on the Underground Railroad . Tubman run up her unmutilated record while leading groups of fleer on a 650 - knot odyssey from eastern Maryland to St. Catharines , Ontario . Starting in 1850 , Tubman made a totality of 19 journeys , personally freeing more than 300 striver . The rewards offer for her capture totaled an astronomical $ 40,000 ( just over $ 1 million in today ’s money ) , but the bountifulness went volunteer .
So how exactly did she mark that perfect record ? Here are some bakshis based on her harrowing adventure — call it the Tubman Technique .
KNOW THE TERRAIN ; MOVE BY NIGHT : Many slaves had never ventured far from their owners ’ property . Slave owners designedly kept them close so they would n’t love how to escape . As a resultant role , runaways necessitate Tubman to do the navigating . She led groups along dirt roads and route by dark . If no safe house was useable during the day , Tubman hid her passengers in dumb forests , swampland , or other position no one would think to look . When it was dependable to split up — a decision she sometimes made when she knew the grouping was being hunt — Tubman gave round-eyed , loose - to - follow advice for reaching a meeting point , like “ follow the drinking gourd vine ” ( the Big Dipper , which points northerly ) .
MAKE trusted EVERYONE KNOWS WHO ’S IN CHARGE : With runaway slaves confront draconian punishments if they were caught , it ’s no surprisal that Tubman ’s passenger occasionally changed their minds and want to return to servitude . But Tubman would have none of it — letting fugitives go back to their honest-to-goodness home take chances exposing her intact internet . When faced with timorous souls , Tubman would brandish her gun and put up them a simple choice : “ You ’ll be free or give out a slave ! ”
KNOW YOUR LIMITS : Although there were thousands of slaves waiting to be freed , Tubman never bit off more than she could chew . Since large numbers would inevitably appeal more tending , she normally conducted laugher in group of 12 to 15 — the most that could safely take cover in an out - of - the - way barn , cellar , or ditch .
DRUG THE KIDS : Since Tubman always tried to keep families together , her journey political party often include modest nestling who could slow the group down or , worse , give it aside by cry out at the wrong moment . To stamp down these problem , Tubman always carried camphorated tincture of opium , an opium tincture that could knock out tots for minute at a time .
WORK THE NEWS CYCLE : Slave owner often ran newspaper ads to alert H.M.S. Bounty hunters and law enforcement about substantial rewards for capturing runaway slave . So Tubman timed her rescues to begin on Saturdays — giving her rider a 48 - time of day pass set forth before masters could run advertizing in the Monday papers .
GET GOOD INTEL : During the Civil War Tubman ramp up her activity through a partnership with the Union Army , which freed slave to weaken the Confederate economy . On June 1 , 1863 , Union officers provide 150 blackened soldier for a Tubman - engineer maraud on rice plantations along the Combahee River in South Carolina . Tubman used an luxuriant electronic connection of spy among the slave population to gather detailed intelligence agency about Confederate defenses , include the position of floating mines in the river . The raid freed around 750 slaves .
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS , TRY BRIBERY : Underground Railroad conductor were no stranger to “ grease the wheels ” by make up off crooked officials and average citizen . Tubman constitute bribes specially efficient at the Canadian border , where officials could be persuaded to turn a blind eye to “ visitant ” who clear were n’t tourer . The roll for payoff came from supporters , both bloodless and shameful , called “ shareowner ” in railroad argot .
DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE LIVESTOCK : Tubman ’s big intensity level was her power to remember on her foot — but her usance of strategical domestic fowl did n’t smart , either . When a route forced her to pass through her own former master ’s hometown , Tubman disguised herself as an old woman and buy two chickens , convey one under each weapon to complete the disguise of a domesticated slave fetching dinner . When she spotted her former master near in the street , Tubman “ lost ” the chickens and went scrambling after them , to the amusement of her master and the other white townsfolk — thus allowing her to make a ready escape .
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