Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

Harriet follows the Choptank River from a distance, wary of coming too close to its heavily trafficked banks. She must pick her way through dense woods, but she moves quickly, full of hopeful energy. Near dawn, she pauses to rest. The next day, she continues her journey, using the location of moss to orient herself to the unfamiliar North. Finally, she is far enough north to approach the river where it becomes more isolated. She takes off her shoes and walks in the river itself, intending to throw any pursuing dogs off her scent. She walks for hours until the river thins to a trickle. Knowing that this is where she must turn for Camden, Delaware, she climbs up the bank. As the sun sets, she shivers. She eats a little of her rations.

The next stage of the journey is the most dangerous because Harriet must follow the road along open fields where people will be looking for her. When she hears riders and horses approaching, she dives into a ditch to hide. Four men stop nearby and build a fire. They are patrollers, charged with traveling around to catch any freedom seekers who might enter their area.