The glory road; Harriet Tubman

This program was produced by WB Geo for national educational radio under a grant from the National Home Library Foundation. Americans have helped many American travelers on Maury. Lori wrote the stories of Negro Americans who have shared in the building of our nation today. How do you top that. This railroad is not as comfortable as the Baltimore and Ohio there are no coaches or locomotives. Every passenger travels under his own power with only the north star to steer by. But this underground railroad got some mighty fine conductors. This is the story of one of those conductors a woman who came to be known as the Moses of her people.

How do you top. The all by the 1820s the northern states. One by one the Polish slavery slave holding was an accepted way of life in the south. A life that would continue as long as the slaves were meek and afraid. But one small slave child on a Maryland plantation was not meek or afraid. Charlie sure got yourself in a peck of trouble. I just reach for no slave ever takes a scrap from my ass to stay. You know that Miss Ferris sommat she won't let you work in the big house ever again. I don't want to be do you want to be so say she take. Chaff since you've been a baby. I didn't have and yes my. Wife.

I can't I can't smile. She talked to me. I thought that's why I just can't see. Her It was not so but because of her stubbornness she was put to work in the fields. In those days slave children grew up fast but weak fell and were whipped. The strong ones worked on her it sucked. Well. Not that hat. Yeah 40 lashes for singing that song it by people. That's the part they don't like. Ever since Nat Turner cause that trouble in Virginia he's made it hard for us dogs and a slave catchers are ready to go. We so much as move you. You smile at the white folks let me tell you something Harriet Tubman

and then you ask if I'm afraid tonight I'm going to escape. How are you going to get by the Underground Railroad. Oh what's that. It's a railroad got no cars or tracks. You bring your own car in the spin to make it go its hiding places by day with good white folks and movin by night he's got mighty fine conduct is helping your cross swamps and rivers until you reach the next station. It's always following the drinking gourd the Big Dipper up in the sky until you way up north until you reach and I'll ride that railroad too. I'll be free but you'll miss things up the bosses watching you for what just cause when I do let you get your turn hat see the Quakers that Quakers are the ones to see. No I could not sell the eggs on Thursday. He must know it is Sunday

here. He looks tired have a lemonade. Thank you man. Is there anything else I could do for the man on hotel bottom master Garrett in Wilmington. Do you know you Thomas Garrett. Let's no one call him Master. He thinks it a sin to own another human being. Has he ever been to Wilmington. I've been nowhere but in Masha's fields Mind you these should ever have to go to Wilmington. You could follow the chopped river north up to its beginning then at the border of Delaware. They could go near the road for fifteen miles and soon they would see a collaborative house with green shingles. The direction the Quaker lady gave her burned into Heriot's mind. She could think of nothing now but escape. And then one night alone because her brothers would not do it whether it set out on the road to freedom.

And the silence of swamps and Woods was broken. I am. But there were other voices to come. I would try to quickly get this way. And then the moment came when Harriet simply walked past a sign marking the border of

Pennsylvania. The moment she later described as free could. I looked to see if I was the same person. No it was Friday. There was no sun coming through the trees and over the field. I was free. The freedom was not enough. The strange strange life. On Christmas plantation big house in Maryland was bright with lights and filled with the

noise of laughter and singing. No one in the house heard the footsteps outside crunching across the notice. How do you think I was touched. I am rid of Benji. It's a boy and one we can't just look at look at our feet and feet. Do you make of that shackles and chains you three feet.

Mate you are close that if you read it. Right. Yes but have there almost never could have made it a cause that's really kind of gravity. Somehow I have to be well get ready for the week. And she did bring them out and many others besides unable to read or write played by finding a spouse. The result of an old injury with a price on her head how it made the dangerous round trip 19 times in 12 years. At the risk of her own freedom she helped more than 300 slaves escape to the north to the negroes she led out

of bondage. This little woman was Moses people. In 1861 civil war finally came the Underground Railroad had reached the end of the line but there was new work for how do you top that. Harriet Tubman. Yes and Moses has work to do. You tell me what you know about the riots. Mr. Lincoln got a Ford here by the river. How many Johnny Rebs they got me. Two hundred I guess. Plantations around here. How they

got it. Harriet Tubman spy for the Union forces returned with valuable information and with 24 men to fight and Mr Lincoln's RV. But now Colonel Montgomery the union officer in command of the second South Carolina Volunteers a brigade of former slaves received an important assignment one that required the services of Harriet Tubman. Our mission tonight is to proceed by boat up the combi river blow up the railroad bridge tear up the cracks and then set up roadblocks and destroy rubble supplies wherever possible. But Harriet we won't even get as far as the bridge unless we have you and your men to guide us. Colonel Snow mascot Nono ever been that river. He's safe around in a rebel man the war now the bridge is sure to be well guarded. Don't you fear commander we get those pickets for they can reach for their guns and the bridge must be taken before daylight. So you just leave it to my men preach so no one

can use it ever again. And by the time that sun flames red in the morning. Oh rebel cotton supply as we can find a lift going up in smoke. You'll get word to the slaves too colonel when we see those piles right now has got to come a runnin cause them know those about freedom. Colonel Montgomery and his second South Carolina Volunteers struck a daring blow. When they returned to their own lines they brought with them 800 runaway slaves now free men. Through it all it was how you top man who showed them the way in 1865. At long last the war was over. The slaves were free but Harriot never ceased to fight for there were other battles that needed women in later life she fought for the right of women to vote for schools in the south for a home for the aged for anyone who needed shelter. But mostly Howard Tubman for for the belief that freedom and the future

belong to all men not people you have come up out of Egypt and even given freedom. Now you look at. This program Harriet Tubman in the series Glory Road written by Chloe letter was produced and directed by Norman wiser heard in the cast where Eloise Stuart Francis Berman Wendell Nelson Harvey Fox Walter Kuzma Bill Caro Randall Madison and John Pollock as Harriet Tubman music courtesy of RCA Victor Mercury elector and Vanguard recordings. Your announcer has been Walter Clifford a grant from the National Home Library Foundation has made possible the production of this program for national educational radio. This is the national educational

radio network.