Harriet Tubman Brought to Life: Facial Re-creation & History of the Abolitionist & Union Spy
424,872
Published 2023-02-17
0:00 Early Life
6:55 Escape to Freedom
9:08 Fugitive Slave Acts
10:03 Roots of the Underground Railroad
10:46 Black Moses
14:48 Civil War
16:45 Later Life
17:49 Harriet’s Appearance
18:41 Re-creations Revealed
Narration & Art: Becca Segovia
Writing, Editing & Music Direction: Andre Segovia
Today, we’ll be talking about one of the bravest women in American History, Harriet Tubman. Known as “The Moses of her People,” she escaped slavery and made it her life’s mission to help rescue others. We’ll also bring her to life with some re-creations at the end of the video.
Around 1820, Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross was born on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. From a very early age, Harriet was hired out at 5 years old to work as a nursemaid. For years, she endured this, and later describes this time period as a time of “severe neglect” with the scars on her neck to prove it.
She began to become religious, finding a strong faith in God and using it as a steadying force in her chaotic life. Even after these years of harsh punishment, Harriet had never lost that spark of resistance.
When she was around 12 years old, she was sent to the general store to do some shopping… but on her way there, she caught sight of a man being chased and immediately knew that he was a runaway. As his pursuers got closer, Harriet purposely stood her ground, getting in the way of the irate slaver.
The overseer then grabbed a heavy weight from the store counter, intending to hit the runaway, but instead, he hit Harriet directly in the head, breaking her skull. After the severe head trauma, she had frequent headaches and narcolepsy.
In 1844, Harriet married a free black man named John Tubman, and this is when she changes her name from Araminta Ross, to how we know it - as Harriet Tubman. Many historians believe that her changing both her first and last name indicates that she wanted to separate herself from her previous identity, and possibly, that she was already planning her escape.
On September 17th, 1849, Harriet and her two brothers Ben and Henry, made their astonishing bid for freedom.
Not long after her return, she escaped once again, this time alone. Over the course of the next three weeks, she traveled the harrowing 90 miles to the Mason-Dixon Line, hiding in friendly houses during the day, and traveling through the night using the North Star to guide her. Finally, she reached the free state of Pennsylvania. Harriet Tubman was a free woman. The Underground Railroad, the network of free people, both black and white, that were helping guide slaves to freedom, was now growing dramatically.
Over the next 11 years, Harriet became a Conductor on the Underground Railroad - and then became an organizer, and a leader. She would go back at least 13 times, although some historians believe that Harriet was being modest with this number.
But the life of an Underground Railroad operator was hard and dangerous. Harriet was determined to guide families to freedom, but she was also forced to make hard decisions just to keep them safe.
Conductors on the Railroad used genius means of disguise to protect themselves. Harriet herself was fond of dressing like a free Black man, or elderly woman.
Although the exact number of escapes she guided is unknown - Harriet herself reported a modest 70 escapes, whereas her biographer estimated 300 - she never lost a passenger.
For the rest of Harriet's life, she would remain on her farm with her family, and continue being an activist for women's rights.
On March 10, 1913 after a long life of service to others, Harriet died, surrounded by her loved ones. Unfathomably selfless, brave and cunning, she rose to the challenge of her time, and against all odds, she led her people to the promised land.
What did Harriet Tubman really look like?
We are lucky enough to have a few photographs of Harriet, one of which was just discovered a few years ago. This photograph was taken around 1868, when Harriet would have been in her early forties. She’s wearing nice, middle class clothing, and looks every bit as strong and determined as what you’d imagine.
It’s hard to tell, but it does look a bit like the head injury she suffered at the age of 12 affected her face - you can see a slight lazy eye in her right eye, and a downturned lip on the same side. The same can be seen on images of Tubman as she aged as well.
I’ve used the 1868 portrait for my re-creation. Since we don’t have any portraits of Tubman as a young woman, I’ve created a young version of her reconstructed face, as well as then aged her up to match her older photographs. So let’s see Harriet Tubman brought to life at every age, now.
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All Comments (21)
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Thank you for watching! We had a fantastic time researching Harriet Tubman. Videos you may enjoy: George Washington: https://youtu.be/UZ22sfmV1LM Abraham Lincoln: https://youtu.be/x8OBYfGdSqE Chevalier de Saint-Georges: https://youtu.be/KtKjWN73B_I
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Seeing her smile in the final re-creation. I was taken aback. My initial thought: "I hope she actually smiled a lot in life". Such a somber thought to have...
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If ever a person deserved to be recognised as a Saint, it’d be Harriet. God Bless her ❤
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Her getting visions n hallucinations after the injury is the perfect example of "may our enemies work in our favor" as these visions helped her.
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A five year old nurse maid. Utterly heartbreaking 💔 😢
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I hope this goes viral. This channel and Harriet deserves it
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Fascinating and touching. This part of American history is tragic, but necessary, to study and remember.
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I did a report on her for Black History Month in the 5th grade. I was assigned to do it and I didn't really have any interest in the topic at the time, but the more I looked into her history and what she did for her people, the more I became so fascinated and filled with admiration. She knew the risks to helping free slaves, but she did it because it was what she needed to do. And her efforts during the Civil War were just so freaking brave and amazing. Harriet Tubman is a hero and she deserves recognition and admiration.
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Am I the only one crying?! We do not celebrate this woman enough. What a warrior!
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There is nothing like that brief moment when fear leaves your body and you have absolute faith in yourself confronting something no matter the consequences.
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I can’t imagine what it would be like to be owned, to be property. For some to never live a single day as a free person. To see families split apart, bought and sold. To have your dignity, everything taken away. Harriet’s perseverance, strength and determination saved many. It’s so easy to sometimes feel sorry for ourselves and our circumstances. Stories like this have a way of putting things into perspective. Thanks RNS for telling Harriet Tubman’s story. What an amazing woman.
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It felt so good to actually see her smile, all the portraits always portray her as a solemn down trodden woman, but despite the many tragedies in her life I’m sure there was some joy! Thank you for this ❤
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Harriet is the epitome of bravery, strength and courage, and she lived her life selflessly. What a wonderful recreation - thank you!
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My Irish Father made sure his kids knew, "Harriett Tubman is the greatest American who ever lived."
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I’m not even American or of African decent (I’m Australian with Irish and Scandinavian ancestry so pretty boring other than some Viking) but I’m crying after watching this. It is so wrong that these things happened anywhere in the world to anyone. What a truly brave, determined, selfless and stubborn (in the best way) woman, such an inspiration.
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I'm from Maryland and on a vacation to the Eastern Shore, I had the chance to see the farm where Harriet Tubman was from and from where she escaped. There is a historic marker and some parking spaces there now for people who want to visit. I got out of my car and just stood there in the middle of the fields, taking it all in. I wanted to get a feel of what it was like. And I have to say, despite the modern-day highways now built around the area, it is still very remote and isolated. It is in the middle of farm and swampland in rural MD and it feels so much like the middle of nowhere. I remember getting goose bumps because while I was standing there, in the middle of those vast fields, I could only hear crickets. It felt so remote and isolated, I could not imagine the level of courage and skill it would've taken to escape and navigate your way out of there. As I stood there, I knew I could not do it. I would be so scared and lost. And it was at that moment, goose bumps and all, that I realized exactly how HEROIC and courageous Harriet Tubman was not just to escape for herself the one time, but to RETURN a dozen more times to free her family and friends from slavery. One of the last ones she freed from the Brodess farm were her parents. They were in their 70s when they finally saw freedom -- thanks to her. Harriet Tubman was FEARLESS. It was such a moving experience to have been to the place where she lived and to feel all that. I almost cried. It is Maryland's honor to claim her as our own. She deserves ALL the honor and recognition including being on our currency. Put her there already! She is an American HERO.
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Harriet Tubman has long been one of my personal heroes. Such a courageous human being. Thank you for covering her life and her accomplishments.
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I feel so connected to her because she looks alot like my mother, and maternal grandfather. I see alot of my grandfather's children in her. And I see alot of her persistence, courage and heart in my mother. I feel like we may be descendants of someone from the same tribe as her. I enjoyed this video so much, very touching..especially her smile in the end.
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I have always been an admirer of Harriet. What she did with her life was so selfless and remarkable. I am so happy you did this for such and incredible woman.
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I cried during this entire episode. THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this !!!!!! Well done! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
