"They all turned to look at Harriet as she came walking toward them. Then without a word of greeting, they started to sing one of the songs she loved. When they finished, Harriet stepped nearer the fire. She began the forbidden song:

Go Down Moses, way down in Egypt's land,

Tell old Pharaoh let my people go.

Not one of the slaves joined her. They sat quietly waiting until her beautiful, husky voice died away They had heard her sing many of the old songs but this one was different."

"The Moses of her people" was born on a plantation in Maryland where she, her ten brothers and sisters, and her parents worked as slaves. Even as a small child carrying water to the men in the fields or fanning the guests in the dining room of the Big House, Harriet showed a willingness to work hard. At thirteen she became a regular field hand. Her strong arms and quick fingers expertly filled the bag that hung over her shoulder. Old Rit, her mother, was disappointed. She wanted Harriet to work in the Big House, not become a common field hand. But Harriet learned early to love the outdoors and happily worked alongside her father. While they worked he taught her songs. He told her about the woods and the  sky, about tides, directions and weather. "Can't ever tell when you might need it," he said.

Harriet was a valuable slave from early childhood and always carried a man's share of the work. But when she learned of her master's plans to sell her in the deep South, her thought of following the North Star to freedom changed to plans. With the schooling of her father and the help of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman was able to make her way safely to Philadelphia. From the moment she gained freedom for herself her life was dedicated to finding it for others. Courageously she returned to the South nineteen times to help more than 300 others escape via the Underground Railroad. Her story is one of courage an dedication as she constantly risked her life to guide her people to freedom.

From the book