The Achievements of Harriet TubmanHarriet Tubman was a black woman born into slavery. Harriet was an abolitionist and firmly believed that all slaves should be free. Harriet learned that her master was dead and that she would be sold if she did not escape. At the age of twenty-five, Harriet left her plantation and fled to a free state (Harriet par 1). Harriet made her way ninety miles from Maryland to Philadelphia. There he began to work and earn a living. He decided that he would free more slaves, so he began making his way back to the southern states twice a year to free as many slaves as he could (Bentley 47-49). The Underground Railroad was Harriet's way of freeing hundreds of slaves. , including his elderly parents. The Underground Railroad was a route Harriet took to free slaves. It would cover wagons with fixed bottoms, which were filled with slaves. He took them to various homes of other abolitionists for food and shelter throughout the night. Once day broke, Harriet would continue her journey to the free states (Smith par 1-2). When the government enacted the Fugitive Slave Law, Harriet could no longer bring slaves to Philadelphia. They were no longer safe in any of the states and had to be taken to Canada for their freedom. This meant that Harriet had to extend the route of the Underground Railroad (Petry 132-133). Harriet was nicknamed Moses by her people. They believed she was sent by God to deliver them. During all her travels back and forth across the Underground Railroad, the reward for Harriet's capture amounted to $40,000. This made it even more difficult for Harriet to safely cross woods and paths, although she was never caught (Smith par 5-6). During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman became very important. She became a nurse, scout, and spy for Union forces. As a nurse, Harriet found a root that helped cure dysentery. Once again the soldiers began calling her Moses because she had saved many of their lives (Petry 220-224). While involved in the Civil War, Harriet freed seven hundred more slaves. Harriet was said to be well respected during the war. He received official praise from many Union Army officers. Although Harriet contributed much time and hard work to the war effort, she never received veterans' benefits for any of her painstaking work (Harriet par 3).