Teacher's Guide for Compquest: Harriet Tubman

HARRIET TUBMAN: 1820? - 1913 THE WOMAN CALLED MOSES (page 4)

1. Why is the date of her birth unsure?
2. In what way did Harriet cause problems for her master?
3. Who was Nat Turner and what did he do? What happened to him?
4. What is Harriet's reaction to Nat Turner? What is Old Rit's reaction? What does this tell you about the differences between them in attitude?
5. How did the slave owners try to control the slaves after Turner's rebellion to prevent it from happening again?
6. Give evidence that shows that Old Rit has been brain washed by the slave system.
7. Throughout history what groups of people have been enslaved? What was the most common cause of people being enslaved?
8. What is the first example we have of slavery on this continent? Give an example of how there might have been slavery before this time.
9. Why didn't the Native Americans satisfy the need for slaves?
10. What European countries were involved in the African slave trade?
11. How many years before slavery was abolished in North America?
12. What was the Underground Railroad?
13. Explain what an abolitionist is.
14. How many people did Tubman eventually help to escape from slavery?
15. What happened to Tubman on the train ride to her home after the Civil war was over.

Write a paragraph describing how you think she must have felt when this happened.

Using the information on page 7 arrange the following in correct chronological order.
1. Fredrick Douglas escapes from slavery.
2. Abraham Lincoln elected President.
3. Rhode Island enacts first law against slavery.
4. Slavery abolished by 13th Amendment
5. First Abolition Society founded - Ben Franklin President.
6. Beginning of black slavery in English colonies.
7. Emancipation proclamation issued freeing slaves in states in rebellion.
8. Nat Turner's revolt.
9. Fugitive Slave Law adopted.

1. Why do you think she was called "Moses"?
2. Describe what you think the painter of the portrait on page 9 was trying to portray about Tubman's character.
3. What psychological change does Harriet describe happening to her on that night in 1835?
4. What does Tubman think should happen to a person who holds another in slavery?
5. How much did Harriet value her freedom? How did she feel once she escaped slavery and reached free territory?
6. Why did slave owners make such a strong effort to recover escaped slaves?
7. How many people did Harriet Tubman and other abolitionists lead out of slavery? If you were a Southern slave owner how would you feel about the people doing this work? Write a paragraph explaining your feelings?
8. Discuss whether you think one person has the right to steal another's property?
9. What role did Tubman play in the Civil War? What do you think most white people would have thought about a middle aged black woman? How would this have helped her as a spy?
10. How was the legacy of slavery passed on within the slave society? What was Tubman's opinion of slaveholders?

1. What kind of activities did Garrett engage in to help slaves escape?
2. Why would Wilmington Delaware be a dangerous place for escaping slaves? Locate Delaware on the map on page 25. What two free states does it border?
3. Why did slave owners bring a lawsuit against him? How did the Court rule? By giving this ruling what was the Court saying about slavery?
4. What is Garrett's reaction to the Court's ruling?
5. According to Garrett why did Harriet Tubman have such confidence in her own ability to free slaves?
6. What did the 15th amendment to the constitution do?

1. Under what circumstances were the words "Underground Railroad" used in connection with escaping slaves?
2. Find Kentucky on the map on page 25. What free states border Kentucky? Since Kentucky borders free states how would you expect the slave owners in Kentucky to treat their slaves?
3. What were some of the hiding places for slaves as they tried to make it to the free states? What were the penalties if you were caught helping runaway slaves?
4. What trick did escaping slaves use to fool the bloodhounds? How much of reward was offered for Harriet Tubman?
5. How far north did the escaping slaves have to go in order to make sure they were safe?
6. What other reason does the article suggest that people might have helped slaves escape besides believing that slavery was morally wrong?

1. What is the northernmost slave state?
2. Name three free states that bordered slave states and three free states that did not border slave states.
3. What was the status of California?
4. What are the territories shown on this map?
5. How did the status of the Nebraska territory change over time with regard to slavery?

1. Define arsenal.
2. Why was Harper's Ferry important during the Civil War?
3. What did John Brown want from Harper's Ferry?
4. Did the raid on the arsenal seem well planned? Discuss.
5. What might John Brown have been expecting when he refused to flee from Harper's Ferry?
6. What does it mean when you send someone out under a white flag? Why do you think the white flag was ignored in this case?
7. How is Brown finally captured?
8. What was Brown tried for? What was the verdict? Do you think it was just?
9. Write a paragraph in which you evaluate Brown? Do you think his cause was a good one? Do you think he was right to take the action he did? What would this country be like if more people took this kind of action based on their beliefs?

1. Why did escaping slaves often go all the way to Canada? What problems did they encounter in Canada?
2. What kind of work did slaves usually get after they escaped?
3. Describe the difficulties faced by John Little and his wife when they tried to homestead. Discuss whether you think their lives were any harder than white people trying to homestead at the same time?
4. According to Josiah Lockhart in what way was his life as a free man similar to slavery? In what way was it different?
5. Once the escaping slaves had established themselves in Canada how did they help others who escaped?
6. What borders the part of Canada where many escaping slaves went?
7. Uncle Tom was not just a character in a book. Who was he in real life?

1. What is the source of the remedies described in this article?
2. Describe one cure for a cold and one cure for a cough.
3. Think of some treatment that is used in your family for treating a cold, like drinking orange juice.

1. What is the other name for the star formation of the "drinking gourd"?
2. What other star formation became a symbol of freedom?
3. Where is the North Star in relation to Merak and Dubhe?

Civil War Highlights (April 1981),
Black History Month (February 1983),
Susan B Anthony and the Women's Movement (March 1985),
The Civil War: Reconstruction (May 1987),
The Harlem Renaissance (February 1991),
African American Inventors (February 1992),
Antislavery Movement (February 1993),
Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement (February 1994),
Abraham Lincoln (May 1994),
Louis Armstrong and the Art of Jazz (October 1994).

Home

Back

Print

Updated: 5/19/13 05:15 pm
Log In