Born Aranita Ross, Harriet Tubman is one of the most famous abolitionist figures in America’s history. Her exploits and contributions during the American Civil War are detailed in the book Harriet Tubman: A Biography. This booked has been co-authored by James A. McGowan – who also edited The Harriet Tubman Journal as well as authoring other biographies, and William C. Kashatus, a historian and teacher. The 167 page book originally published in 2011 by ABC-CLIO, and is the edition that has been reviewed here in.
In authoring this book, McGowan and Kashatus inspiration seemed to have gone beyond detailing the role that women, especially women of colour played in the abolitionist movement as well as the American Civil War. In writing the biography, the authors were determined to achieve one major goal; to debunk the inaccuracies of the works of previous biographers. McGowan and Kashatus main aim was to tell the facts compiled from meticulous research about the life and the times of Harriet Tubman (McGowan and Kashatus, v.)
In writing this biography McGowan and Kashatus biases can be seen in the way they detail how Tubman played subversive roles during this historic times. The authors opt to demonstrate courage, wit, intelligence, tenacity and ambition were the preferred weapons. While the use of physical aggression and enlisting in the warring armies by the women is mentioned, the strategic planning, mobilisation and inspiration are overarching. Suffice to say that this biography is told in a way that it juxtaposes Tubman’s personal life and that of her as a civil rights crusader (Nielsen 78). By doing this, the authors manage to portray a larger than life figure that Tubman was.
McGowan and Kashatus, in this biography, also focus on favourably depicting Harriet Tubman as the ultimate protagonist in the clamour for equal rights of the 20th century. Her rise from an illiterate uneducated woman is deliberately highlighted to prove the magnitude of the odds that she surmounted to be the champion she was. While this may have been important in detailing her background, it is in the numerous referral of her metaphoric label ‘Moses’ that echoes her meteoric rise to super heroism (McGowan and Kashatus xiii).. The label ‘Moses’ is in reference to the biblical character who saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. By doing this, the two biographers appear to reinforce the popular reference to Tubman as Moses of the Underground Railroad, and is in reference to her subversive efforts that led to the freeing of thousands of slaves (Nielsen 98).
While most critics tend to see Tubman as a heroin who offered complimentary and supplementary duties to other abolitionists, this biography lifts her position beyond a brave woman who fought for freedom. It portrays her as more than the ultimate champion. It puts her places her as the change that was needed to permanently alter the course of race relations in America (Nielsen 34).
This biography of Harriet tubman is highly recommendable as a primary textfor anyone interested to know the history of racism in America. The book is crucial especially in detailing the scarcely appreciated roles that women played in the struggle for freedom and equal rights for everyone. More important, this biography is a must read for reformists who would want to lead a revolution from the ground up.
Works cited
McGowan, James A, and William C. Kashatus. Harriet Tubman: A Biography. Santa `Barbara, Calif: Greenwood, 2011. Print.
Nielsen, Nancy J. Harriet Tubman. Mankato, Minn: Bridgestone Books, 2002. Print.
