Harriet Tubman's Amazing Grace

A hymnal owned by the brave leader of the Underground Railroad brings new insights into the life of the American heroine

  • By Owen Edwards
  • Smithsonian magazine, September 2010, Subscribe
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Harriet Tubman
In 1849, Harriet Tubman fled Maryland to Philadelphia. Soon after, Tubman began her exploits—acts of bravery that would make her a legend. (Library of Congress)

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Harriet Tubman gospel hymns

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Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero

by Kate Clifford Larson
One World/Ballantine, 2004

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In her long, eventful life, Tubman worked with abolitionist Frederick Douglass; anti-slavery firebrand John Brown (who called her “General Tubman”); and women’s rights pioneer Susan B. Anthony. In 1897, Queen Victoria recognized her achievements with the gift of a lace-and-silk shawl. (The garment is among 39 items in the Blockson donation.) Tubman died in 1913 at age 91, in Auburn, New York, where she had founded a nursing home for former slaves after the war.

Blockson, who lives outside Philadel­phia, has since boyhood amassed material relating, he says, to “anyone of African descent.” Today, he is curator emeritus of his collection—number­ing some 500,000 pieces—at Temple University.

He acquired the hymnal, the Victoria shawl, several rare photographs and other items as a bequest from Meriline Wilkins, Tubman’s great-great-niece who died at age 92 in 2008. The hymnal had belonged to Tubman’s great-niece, Eva S. Northrup. “[Meriline] said to me once, ‘I’m going to give you something one of these days,’” Blockson recalls. “But when the hymnal turned out to be one of the things she left to me, it was awesome to receive it. And it had to go to Washington, where it may attract other Tubman items.”

The gospel song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” which is in the hymnal, was among Tubman’s favorites. Says Blockson: “They sang it at her funeral.”

Owen Edwards is a freelance writer and author of the book Elegant Solutions.


An 8- by 5-inch 19th-century hymnal, bound in faded paperboard and cloth, bears its owner’s name handwritten on the inside cover. The well-worn book of hymns belonged to one of American history’s most legendary heroines: Harriet Tubman.

Historian Charles Blockson recently donated the hymnal—along with other Tubman memorabilia—to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. It represents, says NMAAHC director Lonnie Bunch, an opportunity “to renew our awareness of Harriet Tubman as a human—to make her less of a myth and more of a girl and a woman with astonishing determination.”

Historians continue to investigate the inscription on the inside cover—“Harriet Tubman Davis Book.” (Tubman married Nelson Davis, a Civil War veteran, in 1869.) Denied education as a slave, Tubman, according to historical evidence, never learned to read or write. “We have more study to do,” says Bunch.

Born in 1822 in Maryland, Tubman suffered a serious head injury as a girl, when an overseer hurled a scale counterweight at another slave, hitting Tubman. The injury caused lifelong seizures and hallucinations that the young woman would interpret as religious visions.

In 1849, she fled Maryland to Philadelphia. Soon after, Tubman began her exploits—acts of bravery that would make her a legend. She returned secretly to Maryland to begin escorting other slaves to freedom. She often traveled at night to avoid capture by reward-seeking trackers. During the course of 13 such missions, she led nearly 70 slaves out of bondage. Even after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required free states to return runaway slaves, Tubman continued to guide her charges along the Underground Railroad north to Canada, earning the nom de guerre “Moses.” She would later recall with pride that she “never lost a passenger.”

“She believed in freedom when she shouldn’t have had a chance to believe in freedom,” says Bunch. Just as important, he adds, was that her increasingly famous acts of daring “belied the Southern contention that slaves actually liked their lives.”

During the Civil War, Tubman served with the Union Army as a rifle-toting scout and spy. In June 1863, she helped lead a gunboat raid on plantations along the Combahee River near Beaufort, South Carolina, an action that freed more than 700 slaves. As Union gunboats took on those who fled, Tubman calmed fears with a familiar abolitionist anthem:

Of all the whole creation in the east
or in the west
The glorious Yankee nation is the
greatest and the best
Come along! Come along!
don’t be alarmed.

In her long, eventful life, Tubman worked with abolitionist Frederick Douglass; anti-slavery firebrand John Brown (who called her “General Tubman”); and women’s rights pioneer Susan B. Anthony. In 1897, Queen Victoria recognized her achievements with the gift of a lace-and-silk shawl. (The garment is among 39 items in the Blockson donation.) Tubman died in 1913 at age 91, in Auburn, New York, where she had founded a nursing home for former slaves after the war.

Blockson, who lives outside Philadel­phia, has since boyhood amassed material relating, he says, to “anyone of African descent.” Today, he is curator emeritus of his collection—number­ing some 500,000 pieces—at Temple University.

He acquired the hymnal, the Victoria shawl, several rare photographs and other items as a bequest from Meriline Wilkins, Tubman’s great-great-niece who died at age 92 in 2008. The hymnal had belonged to Tubman’s great-niece, Eva S. Northrup. “[Meriline] said to me once, ‘I’m going to give you something one of these days,’” Blockson recalls. “But when the hymnal turned out to be one of the things she left to me, it was awesome to receive it. And it had to go to Washington, where it may attract other Tubman items.”

The gospel song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” which is in the hymnal, was among Tubman’s favorites. Says Blockson: “They sang it at her funeral.”

Owen Edwards is a freelance writer and author of the book Elegant Solutions.


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wow

Posted by buddy on April 18,2012 | 10:41 AM

i think that harriet tubman went through alot to stay alive

Posted by tyjona on February 14,2012 | 10:49 AM

Responding to Kris McIntosh's question from August 31,2010:

Eva Stewart married one of Solomon Northup's grandsons (that is, one of the sons of Alonzo Northup of Weedsport, NY).

I have done a great deal of research on Solomon Northup, and I had gotten a copy of the marriage certificate, which was unfortunately lost in a house fire, along with lots of my other research notes. I had confirmed the Tubman/Northup connection with Mariline Wilkins, who was related to Tubman. She sent me a letter, which regrettably was also lost in the fire.

Posted by David Fiske on May 7,2011 | 09:43 PM

i loved all the info!!!!!!

Posted by kendra on October 14,2010 | 10:17 AM

I am so proud we had women like Harriet Tubman who fought for Freedom, and there is a piece of her inside me waiting to speak out. I am of another era however, who speaks out on Facebook. I am a decendent of General Patton who fought for Freedom as my Maternal Grandmother was a Patton. My Grandfather shoed horses for the Civil War fighters in Oklahoma. My Grandmother Tennie was in the Run of Oklahoma from Texas for Land at age 12. I was privileged to walk and hunt on that land which is now owened by OU of Oklahoma, for years as a child east of Noble, OKlahoma. My maternal Grandmother was half Cherokee and my Great Great Grandmother was in the Trail of Tears....So to say I feel a spark of "fight" within me to stand up for FREEDOM because it is naturally within my bloodline as well. It is so good to read about Harriet Tubman and her life is so awesome because she fought for what she believed in. I was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma at the home of my Maternal Grandparents LeAnder and Tennessee Blanch McGeorge. It is now a children's park at 631 East Eufaula, Norman, Oklahoma. The neighbors at the time of it's opening named it after them because they said, The McGeorge's loved children. I am proud to have a heritage like mine and I am only one of the Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren alive today from this family. It was a grand family of the Old Wild West of whom I am very proud. If you're ever in Norman, Oklahoma, go by and sit under the huge old pecan tree I was born under and played under many years. I go to visit there quite often now...God bless our heritages we can recall. It's location is East off Porter on Eufaula 4 Blocks. You will be glad you did.
Thank you!
Sylvia Joyce Maggard Day Guy in Sulphur, Ok

Posted by Joyce Day Guy on September 19,2010 | 09:36 AM

This is a wonderful article. It certainly gives me a sense of pride to be a part of a such a great legacy of being a strong, positive black woman. There will always be people such as the Jeff G. who stated that there is no evidence of this fine woman working union army, etc. Every article or book that I have read, and there has been many, each listed her as a spy, and working as nurse in the union army as well as many other things. There is also no evidence of her many slave rescues other than the living witnesses and the many ancestors of the living witnesses but of course for people, such as Mr. Jeff G. even that isn't enough proof that an illiterate black woman of little or very limited means could have a complished so many wonders. Wake up Jeff, you have been asleep to long. Thank God, that there are only a few Jeff's left around, they are a dying breed. It was my friend Sharon(a white woman) who forwarded this fine article to me and I truly thank her for sharing. Wonderful article thanks to you for the print.

Posted by louree holly on September 8,2010 | 10:04 AM

There are heroines today and heros too. all the workers who have gone into countries where there have been earthquakes and floods.

Those around us who day after day do what is expected of them and more. Those who have come through addiction and have conquered it and are now helping others.

Freeddom workers during the civil rights movements who lost their lives.

The most wonderous thing about this world is that despite all the most horrible calamities that man and nature have created,we have always found courageous souls who ran into burning buildings, launched rescue attempts, and gave of themselves to help others. This is perhaps our most redeeming human quality.

I am sure if you look around your world you will find a hero.

Posted by Sheila on September 5,2010 | 04:51 PM

Harriet Tubman is a real American heroine and her story needs to be told forever to all upcoming generations. Her conviction to fight for the cause of justice is exemplary of our founding forefathers and "the American way."

Posted by Janice Trubitt on September 4,2010 | 03:47 PM

There is no evidence that Tubman ever carried a rifle, or firearm, during the Civil War. There is also no evidence she ever served as a scout, nor actually went behind Confederate lines spying, with the exception of accompanying the Federal troops on raids into the interior.

Posted by Jeff Grigg on September 3,2010 | 09:21 AM

Even though I am a white woman, Harriet Tubman was alway's one of my hero's and I am very happy to see that some of her cherished item's were found and donated to the musuem so hopefully one day in the future I hope to be able to see her item's. Thank You for this article I sure enjoyed reading it very much!!!

Posted by Laura on September 2,2010 | 09:06 PM

Wonderful story! Makes me want to ask, "Where are the heroines of today?"

Posted by Marilyn on September 2,2010 | 07:29 PM

What an amazing woman Harriet Tubman was. The courage she showed in her lifetime is to be envied by normal, run of the mill people. This is a treasure to have - wish I could actually see it!

Posted by MaryHelen Israel on September 2,2010 | 03:06 PM

I am building a libray & musem to remember the works and passion of the late Congressman Mickey Leland ( George Thoma"MIckey" Leland Library & Museum of African History, Culture and Social Change) and I am always encouraged with information about those that went before us.

This was beautiful and wonderful to read. This woman was indeed chosen by God, her vision was clear and her mission was her life, what a beautiful legacy.

Thank you

Posted by Cleo Glenn Johnson McLaughlin on September 2,2010 | 01:11 PM

Her courage is an inspiration. The artical moved me. I thank her and pray I can be more like her.

Posted by Gary Carlo on September 2,2010 | 12:11 PM



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