March is Women’s History Month. In celebration, Pick Up Sticks Jewelry Company is featuring prominent women throughout the month and highlighting the impact they had on the world. And to add a little more fun to the history lesson, we are selecting jewelry charms that embody each woman’s unique personality and accomplishments. Today we are celebrating Harriet Tubman.
The Impossible Dream
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery as Araminta “Minty” Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. After the death of her master, it seemed her fate and that of her three brothers was sealed, and they would be sold to the Deep South. Having already witnessed three of her sisters being sold, she resolved that escape was the best chance for her and her brothers. For safety and secrecy she changed her name, taking her mother’s first name and her husband’s last name.
Her journey across the “line” was approximately 90 miles and was traveled only during night. Once in Pennsylvania, Harriet made connections with abolitionists, freed slaves, and white sympathizers. She also learned about the connections of the Underground Railroad, which led into Canada. She found work in various hotels and clubhouses and began saving money to return and rescue her family.
Following Her North Star: The (Rail)Road to Freedom
By risking her own life and following the North Star as a guide, Harriet made an estimated 19 round trips on the Underground Railroad freeing nearly 300 slaves, including her brothers and parents. She became known as “Black Moses” for her immense efforts in leading slaves to freedom. Slave owners did not believe that a woman would be capable of such a feat and had placed a large reward on “his” head.
When the Civil War began, she worked among the slaves who fled their masters and flocked to Union lines. She organized many of them into spy and scout networks that operated behind Confederate lines from bases on islands off the coast of the Carolinas. After the war she devoted herself to caring for orphaned and invalid blacks, and worked to promote the establishment of freedmen’s schools in the South.
Charming Harriet
Pick Up Sticks charms that exemplify Harriet’s courage and vision include “Fearless,” “Free Indeed,” and our “Twinkle Star” Trinket. The first featured charm features a calm, determined woman atop a fierce tiger. In Harriet’s case the tiger represents the slavery she fought so bravely against. The message of our second charm, “Free Indeed,” is self-explanatory, stating the end result of Tubman’s relentless and untiring work. Our “Sparkle Star” illustrates her own words: “…you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Sources
“Tubman, Harriet.” National Women’s Hall of Fame, [online] Available at: www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/harriet-tubman/. [Accessed 05 Mar. 2019].
“Harriet Tubman Historical Society.” [online] Available at: http://www.harriet-tubman.org/ [Accessed 05 Mar. 2019].