By Cana Short
ReadOasis Step 3

Harriet Tubman circa 1885

Hello. I am Harriet Tubman, formerly a slave in Maryland, but now a free woman.

Freedom did not come easily—I only attained it by running away. I do not know why I waited so long to escape. Life on the plantation was full of pain and hardships. Many of my siblings were sold away when they were young. My masters often beat me. Once, I was even hit on the head by a heavy metal weight, an injury I still suffer from today. I finally decided...