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Secondary sourceBook1886

Harriet, the Moses of Her People

Sarah Bradford · 1886

Sarah Bradford's authorized biography of Harriet Tubman, based on Tubman's own recollections and sold to fund her charitable work.

This is the only biography of Tubman authorized in her lifetime, drawing on her own dictated recollections.

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Scan of a dark brown cloth book cover with a worn, faded light-colored title block at the top left, too faded to read clearly. The rest of the cover is plain, with a visible spine edge along the left side.
Sarah H. Bradford, Harriet, the Moses of Her People, 1886.

About this source

What it is

This book, written by Sarah Hopkins Bradford, is a biography of Harriet Tubman. First published as Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman in 1868, it was revised and released under this title in 1886. Bradford gathered Tubman's own stories through interviews, along with letters and testimonials from supporters including Frederick Douglass, Gerrit Smith and Thomas Garrett.

Why it matters

Tubman could not read or write and never wrote her own memoirs, so this book, which she authorized, is the closest thing to her life story in her own words. It was sold to raise money for Tubman herself and later for her planned Home for the Aged. Modern historians note the book's dramatic, moralizing style, but it remains a key source for how Tubman and her era understood her life.

Look closer

  • Why might Tubman have needed someone else to write her story for her?
  • How might a book written to raise money shape the way a life is told?
  • What parts of the story come from Tubman herself, and what parts come from Bradford or others?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Harriet Tubman on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Scan of an 1849 newspaper runaway-slave reward notice headed 'Three Hundred Dollars Reward', offering rewards for three runaways named Harry, Ben and Minty, signed by Eliza Ann Brodess near Bucktown, Dorchester County, Md.Newspaper article

Primary source

Three Hundred Dollars Reward Notice

Eliza Ann Brodess · 3 October 1849

Black-and-white studio portrait of a standing woman in a dark long-sleeved dress with a white collar, buttons down the bodice, and a tasseled key at her waist. Her hand rests on a draped chair; a hat and coat lie on a fringed stool, and a draped table stands at left against a plain backdrop with a column.Photograph

Primary source

Harriet Tubman

Harvey B. Lindsley · c. 1871-1876

Sepia carte-de-visite portrait of a seated Black woman in a dark long-sleeved dress with a white collar and a light checked skirt, leaning her arm on a spindle chair. Handwritten signature reads Harriet Tubman. Red and cream border.Photograph

Primary source

Carte-de-visite Portrait of Harriet Tubman

Benjamin Powelson · c. 1868-1869

Scanned handwritten General Affidavit form, filled in by hand, with a title printed at top. The text describes a claim for services as nurse and cook in hospitals and as commander of scouts during the Civil War. Signatures of affiants appear at the bottom, including Harriet Tubman's name and her mark.Document

Primary source

General Affidavit of Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman · 1898

Scan of a handwritten manuscript page on lined paper in cursive ink, with a torn and taped top edge. The text begins 'Harriett Tubman was sent to Hilton Head' and describes her wartime service as a scout and spy, listing names of scouts and pilots.Document

Secondary source

A History Concerning the Pension Claim of Harriet Tubman

Charles P. Wood · 1 June 1888

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