Harriet Tubman For Beginners

As the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, escaped slave Harriet Tubman earned the nickname “Moses of her People” for leading scores of men, women, and children from bondage to freedom in the North. During the Civil War, she worked as a nurse for wounded soldiers, a caretaker of refugee slaves, and a spy and scout for Union forces. Late in life she was active in the fight for women’s suffrage.

Mythologized by many biographers and historians, Tubman was an ordinary but complex woman—tiny but strong, guided by her belief in God and religious visions, yet a tough, savvy leader who the radical abolitionist John Brown admired as “the General.” In 2016, it was announced that Tubman would become the first woman to appear on US currency—the $20 bill—in over a century.

Drawing on the latest historical research, Harriet Tubman For Beginners portrays a woman who resisted and transcended slavery and fought injustice her entire life. Beyond legend, she made her mark on history by defending core American principles—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—for others.

"Harriet Tubman For Beginners by Annette M. Alston offers a rare corrective to the long standing myths surrounding Tubman's remarkable life. Using up-to-date research and resources, Alston crafts a compelling and engaging historical narrative that places Tubman in the proper context of her times, and reveals the incredible facts of a real flesh and blood woman who achieved extraordinary things. Highly readable and accessible, Harriet Tubman For Beginners is a must-have." --Kate Clifford Larson Ph.D., author of Rosemary, The Hidden Kennedy Daughter, and Bound For the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero

Annette Alston is a 29-year educator in the Newark, NJ public school system. She holds a degree in Journalism from Rutgers University, a teaching certificate from St. Peter’s University, and an MA in social studies from Concordia University. Annette is a member of the Essex County Civic Association and the Newark NAACP.