General Moses and the Underground Railroad: The Amazing Life of Harriet Tubman

The best account of the life of Harriet Tubman, written for young readers. The author, Karla Lant, has been praised for her ability to tell a controversial story in a way the young reader will understand. Harriet Tubman was one of the most important American abolitionists, people who fought to end slavery in the U.S. She was also a humanitarian, someone who fought for human rights. She served as an armed scout and spy on behalf of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War. Later, she became a passionate activist for women's suffrage, or the right to vote for women. Although she was born into slavery in the American South, Harriet Tubman bravely escaped in 1849. It wasn't enough for her to win just her own freedom, though. She went back to help others escape, too. Harriet Tubman went on many secret missions to rescue enslaved families and friends from the plantation system in the South. She did this with help from other antislavery activists and safe houses. This network of people and the houses they used as safe spots were called the Underground Railroad.