Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross in approximately March 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, was a pivotal American abolitionist and social activist. Born into slavery, she endured a harsh childhood marked by severe beatings and a traumatic head injury that caused lifelong neurological issues, which she interpreted as divine premonitions guiding her profound faith. In 1849, Tubman courageously escaped slavery to Philadelphia. Driven by a deep commitment to freedom, she repeatedly risked her life, returning to Maryland on some 13 missions to guide approximately 70 enslaved people, including her family and friends, to freedom through the clandestine network known as the Underground Railroad. She was known as "Moses" for her leadership and never lost a single "passenger." Following the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, her efforts extended to guiding escapees further north into British North America (Canada). Her commitment to direct action against slavery led her to collaborate with abolitionist John Brown in 1858, assisting in the planning and recruitment for his raid on Harpers Ferry. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Tubman actively supported the Union cause, serving as a cook, nurse, armed scout, and spy. Notably, in 1863, she led the Combahee Ferry raid, an armed military operation that liberated over 700 enslaved people, marking her as the first woman to lead such an action in U.S. history. Despite her invaluable contributions, her unofficial status meant she received minimal compensation for her service and faced persistent financial hardship. After the war, Tubman settled on a seven-acre farm she had purchased in 1859 in Auburn, New York, which became a haven for her family and others seeking a better life in the North. Around 1844, she married John Tubman, a free black man. Years later, on March 18, 1869, she married Nelson Davis, a Union Army veteran 22 years her junior, and together they adopted a daughter named Gertie. Tubman dedicated her later years to advocating for women's suffrage, attending meetings, and speaking about women's equality. She also worked to establish the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in Auburn, a facility for indigent African Americans, which opened in 1908. Her chronic pain from her childhood head injury led her to seek an operation in the late 1890s, where she reportedly bit down on a bullet during the procedure, emulating Civil War soldiers. Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia on March 10, 1913, at the age of 91, surrounded by loved ones at the rest home named in her honor. She was buried with semi-military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York. Her unwavering courage and lifelong dedication to freedom and justice have cemented her legacy as an enduring American icon.