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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jun 3, 2023

Under Harriet Tubman, the Union set fire to houses, mills, and outbuildings and took the stores of commodity rice and cotton, as well as supplies of potatoes, corn, and livestock. The plantations were left smoking ruins. Initially hesitant, when the slaves saw General Tubman, over 750 of them, who had never been freed under the Emancipation Proclamation, erupted in joy and rushed to freedom.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jun 3, 2023

The Raid on Combahee Ferry was depicted in the epilogue of the 2019 film, Harriet.

Clip of the scene:

https://youtu.be/rAa2_fTwcQI

Resources on the Raid at Combahee Ferry:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/combahee-ferry-raid

https://www.history.com/news/harriet-tubman-facts-daring-raid

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/combahee-river-raid-june-2-https://www.history.com/news/harriet-tubman-combahee-ferry-raid-civil-war

https://www.southamptonhistory.org/amp/harriet-tubman-and-the-raid-at-combahee-ferry

https://explorebeaufortsc.com/beaufort-history-harriet-tubman-and-the-combahee-ferry-raid/

https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/honoring-pioneer-harriet-tubman/

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Harriet (2019) - The Combahee River Raid Scene (9/10) | Movieclips

YouTube

Brian Clark Jun 4, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon thanks for sharing this! Can you recommend a good biography of Harriet Tubman that is accessible to a non-historian/non-academic?

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco

I own 4 books on Harriet Tubman. Most books written about Harriet Tubman are children’s book. Though true, Harriet Tubman‘a life was so dramatic (at least the first part) that it lends itself to mythologizing of super human feats like John Henry—-perfect for children’s stories.

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But for adults, I would start with “Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People” by Sarah Bradford. It is a short book, but it is a book where Harriet herself participated in telling her story. It was written during her lifetime. It does not cover the latter part of her life though. But it gives an idea of the times Harriet lived in and how she thought of them.

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Next, there are two contemporary adult biographies that are noteworthy: 1) “Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero” by Kate Clifford Larson and 2) “Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom” by Catherine Clinton.

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The Larson book is very well researched and detailed but may be a dry read for some people. It is more tell than show. The Clinton book is more dramatic—-like a story. Good research and writing. I like both but if I had to choose, I would choose the Larson book.

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The final book is excellent because there are a lot of myths surrounding Harriet and this book tries to separate myth from documented facts. It looks at how Harriet has been remembered—her public image-and how that stacks up against the evidence. It is called “Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory and History” by Milton C. Sernett.

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Brian Clark Jun 4, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon thank you!