Harriet Tubman Author's Purpose
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Harriet Tubman Author's Purpose
A Journey Toward Freedom
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland around 1822. As a child, she was forced to work and was separated from family members. In 1849, she escaped slavery and reached Pennsylvania, a free state. But Tubman did not leave the danger behind. She returned many times to help other enslaved people escape, guiding them north through a secret network of routes and safe places called the Underground Railroad. The name can be misleading: it was not an actual railroad, but a system of people who helped freedom seekers. Travel was dangerous. Those escaping had to avoid being caught, often moving at night and relying on guides and safe houses. Tubman used courage, careful planning, and knowledge of the routes. During the Civil War, she also helped the Union cause, including by working as a nurse, cook, scout, and spy. In 1863, she helped guide a military raid in South Carolina that freed more than 700 enslaved people. Tubman's actions took place during a time when laws and customs protected slavery and denied Black people equal rights. Her work challenged that injustice. Today, people remember her as a courageous leader who risked her life to help others seek freedom.
Identify the Purpose
Use evidence from the passage to decide why it was written and how its details affect readers.
- To inform readers about events in Tubman's life
- To persuade readers to visit Maryland
- To make the passage a fictional adventure
- To explain how to build a railroad
- They help readers understand the risks Tubman and others faced.
- They prove that every journey followed the same route.
- They show that Tubman traveled by train.
- They shift the passage to a description of modern travel.
- Mainly to inform readers about Tubman's life and show why her actions mattered
- Mainly to entertain readers with an invented story
- Mainly to persuade readers to travel north
- Mainly to give instructions for finding safe houses today
Use Evidence
Look closely at the author's choices. A purpose is supported by specific words, facts, and details.
Think Like a Reader
Use more than one piece of evidence to explain how the passage works.
3 printable pages
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