Where and when was Harriet Tubman born?
Harriet was born into slavery. Although her birth date is unknown, she was born in 1820, in Dorchester County, Maryland. To the right is a historic marker of Harriet's birthplace, in Maryland.
What happened to Harriet in her teen years?
In 1835, Harriet was hit in the head with a heavy iron weight while trying to help another slave escape from a whipping, for going to the store without permission. The iron weight nearly crushed her skull, but did leave a deep scar. She was unconscious for days, she suffered serious head trauma and had seizures for the rest of her life.
As a teen, Harriet was hired out by her master to serve as a nursemaid to babies and small children much like the slave in the picture to the right. While Harriet was working as a nursemaid, she had to stay awake all night so that the baby wouldn't cry and wake it’s mother. If she fell asleep, the baby's mother would whip her. Being a nanny to white children may not have been the most awful position a slave could imagine, but she was still a slave.