Harriet Tubman: I started with this idea in my head, "There's two thin...

I can't die but once.

Harriet Tubman

dies i-can

I grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it.

Harriet Tubman

ignorant marijuana weed

I was the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman

underground-railroad conductor railroads

Pears like I prayed all the time, 'bout my work, everywhere, I prayed an' groaned to the Lord.

Harriet Tubman

pears lord

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person.

Harriet Tubman

black-history african-american hands

I knew of a man who was sent to the State Prison for twenty-five years. All these years he was always thinking of his home, and counting by years, months, and days, the time till he should

Harriet Tubman

home men thinking

I link dar's many a slaveholder'll git to Heaven. Dey don't know no better. Dey acts up to de light dey hab.

Harriet Tubman

light links heaven

Don't you tell me what I can't do.

Harriet Tubman

entertainment

God don't mean people to own people, i will give every last drop of blood in my veins until this monster called slavery is dead.

Harriet Tubman

entertainment

I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.

Harriet Tubman

free me welcome freedom

Twasn't me, 'twas the Lord! I always told Him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect You to lead me,' an' He always did.

Harriet Tubman

know me you trust

I think slavery is the next thing to hell. If a person would send another into bondage, he would, it appears to me, be bad enough to send him into hell if he could.

Harriet Tubman

think me slavery hell

Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave.

Harriet Tubman

free never know slavery

I never had anything good, no sweet, no sugar; and that sugar, right by me, did look so nice, and my mistress's back was turned to me while she was fighting with her husband, so I just put my fingers in the sugar bowl to take one lump, and maybe she heard me, for she turned and saw me. The next minute, she had the rawhide down.

Harriet Tubman

good look me sweet

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and I felt like I was in heaven.

Harriet Tubman

gold sun heaven hands

As I lay so sick on my bed, from Christmas till March, I was always praying for poor ole master. 'Pears like I didn't do nothing but pray for ole master. 'Oh, Lord, convert ole master;' 'Oh, dear Lord, change dat man's heart, and make him a Christian.'

Harriet Tubman

man christmas change heart

I've heard 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' read, and I tell you Mrs. Stowe's pen hasn't begun to paint what slavery is as I have seen it at the far South. I've seen de real thing, and I don't want to see it on no stage or in no theater.

Harriet Tubman

uncle pen you slavery

Most of those coming from the mainland are very destitute, almost naked. I am trying to find places for those able to work, and provide for them as best I can, so as to lighten the burden on the Government as much as possible, while at the same time they learn to respect themselves by earning their own living.

Harriet Tubman

best respect work time

I said to de Lord, 'I'm goin' to hold steady on to you, an' I know you'll see me through.'

Harriet Tubman

see know me you

Read my letter to the old folks, and give my love to them, and tell my brothers to be always watching unto prayer, and when the good old ship of Zion comes along, to be ready to step aboard.

Harriet Tubman

step good prayer love

I started with this idea in my head, "There's two things I've got a right to, death or liberty."