Harriet Tubman in Harriet and How Did a Warrior Woman Change the World
Harriet narrates the life story of a remarkable African-American abolitionist, Harriet Tubman. The movie shows how Harriet, a woman who was enslaved for years, risks her life for freedom and helps others escape slavery by leading them to the North through the Underground Railroad (Lemmons, 2019). Harriet Tubman was a brave lady who changed the lives of many people and the course of history. Apart from saving hundreds of enslaved people, Tubman joined the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery society and motivated others to fight. She does much more than just helping people escape, as she becomes “Moses,” their sign of hope and freedom. Harriet Tubman rescued enslaved people, represented how gender and disability do not hinder one from fighting, and inspired the enslaved to advocate for their rights, thus changing the world.
Minty, who later changed her name to Harriet, was one of the pioneers in Maryland that openly disagreed with cruel social orders and escaped slavery, motivating the others to pursue a better life. When she flees from her town for the first time and Gideon, the man who was Minty’s slave-owner, finds her, she tells him that she is “going to be free or die” (Lemmons, 2019, 25:40). While other enslaved people are scared of their cruel owners and silently obey orders, Harriet, despite her fear, protests and saves herself from being subjected to a fate of slavery. When Harriet returns to Maryland for her people, she leads them across the river to avoid Gideon. They are too afraid of crossing the river, but similar to Moses, who led Israelites across the sea, she goes into the water first and successfully passes to the other side (Lemmons, 2019, 01:09:23-01:11:05). Without Harriet’s lead, enslaved people were terrified to cross the river. She motivates others to be braver, showing that it is possible to have a better, free life.
Tubman’s faith in God gave hope to her “passengers,” and the music in the film helps portray this faith. People believed that God talked to her, and songs in the film depict these beliefs as one of the lyrics refers to the Lord, asking if he can hear people’s prayers (Lemmons, 2019, 01:18:49). Harriet’s visions came true, increasing enslaved individuals’ confidence in their “Moses,” and giving them hope that God protects and leads them.
Not only Harriet’s actions but her words serve as an inspiration for the black community. She gave a speech in front of free Black and White people of the North about her desire to save those who were still enslaved. (Lemmons, 2019, 01:32:19-01:34:16). Harriet stated that she will fight until “this monster called slavery is slain dead” (Lemmons, 2019, 01:34:12). She motivates enslaved people to fight for their freedom while inspiring those who are free to help the enslaved. A significant aspect of Harriet’s motivating symbolism is that Lemmons does not focus on brutal scenes and hardships of slavery, “prioritizing an inspirational and womanly character study” (Laffly, 2019, para. 4). The movie portrays the wise words and brave actions of a Black woman who motivated hundreds to not settle for serving others for their whole lives.
However, Harriet is famous not for inspiring but for rescuing people. Tubman led or gave instructions to around 70 enslaved people that ran North along the Underground Railroad (National Park Service, 2021, para.2). Harriet shows some of her brave expeditions and how “Moses” became famous and wanted for helping the enslaved people escape. Courageous Tubman risked her life countless times while leading enslaved people to the North. In one of the last scenes, she lets fugitives run while meeting Gideon and tells him that “God do not mean people to own people” (Lemmons, 2019, 01:53:33). Harriet does not stop her journeys even after Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. The act allowed slave-owners to recapture free slaves, so the brave woman started carrying weapons to protect her people while traveling to the North (Tate and Jerry, 2022). She was ready to sacrifice herself to rescue other enslaved people and saved a hundred lives from a terrible fate.
Another Harriet’s contribution to changing the world was her representation of the power Black disabled woman can have. In Harriet, Gideon refuses to believe the famous Moses can be a Black woman as everyone assumed it was a White man (Lemmons, 2019, 01:24:29-01:25:07). When Minty was twelve, she got hit by one of the slave-owners, leading to her having severe headaches, narcolepsy, and hallucinations throughout her life (Tate and Jerry, 2022). However, Harriet’s disability did not make her weak or helpless, as she was known to be remarkably strong and could physically compete with men (Bradford, 2018). It is mentioned in the movie that Tubman was “one of the few women in U.S history who to lead an armed expedition” (Lemmons, 2019, 01:57:48). She was a feminist icon and showed that disability or social unacceptance could not stop individuals from fighting for their rights. She achieved unbelievable things during the most challenging times for someone who is Black, female, and disabled, representing how powerful these oppressed social classes can be.
Moreover, Harriet participated in the Civil War and saved many African-Americans during that difficult period. She served as a nurse, providing care for Black soldiers and civilians during the war, spying for the Union army, and joined the raid that saved over 700 enslaved people (National Park Service, 2021). Tubman was an active participant in the Civil War who treated and saved many African-American citizens using plants and her nursing skills. In 1863, she led Black troops on a military expedition in South Carolina (Tate and Jerry, 2022, para.14). Her heroism saved many civilians and soldiers, making her one of the most remarkable activists in the history of the United States. After the Civil War, Harriet did not stop helping her people. The movie mentions that Tubman became a part of the Women’s Suffrage movement and helped elderlies and children (Lemmons, 2019, 01:57:48). She established a house for older people and advocated for women’s voting rights. She never stopped fighting for her people, saving and inspiring them.
Harriet Tubman was a warrior woman who changed the world. Harriet depicts her dangerous journeys that helped enslaved people escape to the North, her inspiring speeches, and her historically significant achievements. She rescued hundreds of people from slavery, treated soldiers and civilians during the Civil War, led military expeditions, took care of older people, and motivated hundreds to fight for their rights. She represents a strong black woman who, despite the oppression, never gave up on defending herself and her people. Harriet is an excellent movie that narrates the story of a truly remarkable woman who changed many lives.
Works Cited
Bradford, Sarah. 2018. Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. ECHO LIBRARY.
Laffly, Tomris. 2019. Harriet.
Lemmons, Kasi, dir. 2019. Harriet. Perfect World Pictures
National Parks Service. 2021. Harriet Tubman.
Tate, Angela, and Romya-Jeneieve Jerry. 2022. Harriet Tubman: Life, Liberty and Legacy. National Museum of African American History and Culture.