OK, so people are out here on TikTok saying Harriet Tubman wasn’t real.
There’s a wave of TikToks going around claiming she was “an industry plant” or straight-up “not real.” Yes, really. People are posting like she was some government-made myth designed to “control the narrative.”
This is terrifying on so many levels.
I cannot believe we’re at the point where I have to say this, but here we are: Harriet Tubman was a real person. A revolutionary. A war hero. And no, she wasn’t some “industry plant” cooked up by the government. That’s not critical thinking — that’s TikTok clout-chasing dressed up as conspiracy theory. And it’s a symptom of a much bigger problem: a crumbling education system and a coordinated campaign to erase history — one the Trump administration is actively pushing.
Here’s Harriet Tubman’s story:
In 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery. Within a decade, she became the most well-known “conductor” of the Underground Railroad. She wasn’t just an abolitionist — she was a tactical genius. During the Civil War, she worked as a secret spy, scout, and military leader for the Union Army. In fact, she was the first woman in U.S. history to plan and lead a military operation.
Tubman was born into chattel slavery between 1820 and 1825 in Maryland. One of nine children, she was originally named Araminta Ross, but her family called her “Minty.” Her childhood was brutal — like most enslaved people, she endured violence and trauma daily. She bore permanent injuries from a blow to the head at age 13, after trying to protect another enslaved person. For the rest of her life, she suffered seizures, severe headaches, and narcolepsy.
In 1844, she married a free Black man named John Tubman. When she learned she might be sold, she ran — walking 90 miles to Philadelphia, following the North Star. A year later, she returned to rescue her sister and nieces. Then she came back again. And again. In total, she made 19 trips, directly and indirectly freeing over 300 enslaved people, including her elderly parents. She never lost a single passenger. Slave catchers put a $40,000 bounty on her — over $1 million in today’s money — but she kept going.
They called her “Moses,” and she said it best herself:
“I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to — liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would have the other.”
And she wasn’t done.
In 1863, Tubman teamed up with Colonel James Montgomery to lead the Combahee River Raid — a liberation mission that freed 750 enslaved people and struck a major blow to Confederate infrastructure. She also worked as a nurse, using herbal remedies to care for wounded soldiers and formerly enslaved people.
After the war, she settled in Auburn, NY. She raised money for newly freed people, fought for women’s suffrage alongside Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, married a man twenty years her junior (icon behavior), adopted a daughter, and in 1896, opened the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. Despite her lifelong health issues, she lived to be 93.
Even today, her legacy continues to spark debate — like the ongoing fight to replace Andrew Jackson with her on the $20 bill.
But make no mistake: Harriet Tubman was real. The lies spreading online aren’t just misinformation — they’re a form of erasure. And if we don’t push back, we’ll end up with a generation that knows more about fake TikTok lore than the woman who risked everything to bring others to freedom.
If some of these TikTok conspiracy theorists still don’t believe you, here are some resources:
Museums & Historic Sites
1. Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (Auburn, NY)
Managed by the National Park Service, this site includes Tubman’s home, the Home for the Aged she founded, and the AME Zion Church she helped build. It’s a powerful place to walk in her footsteps.
2. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park (Maryland)
Located near where she was born and enslaved, this park preserves key sites from her early life and Underground Railroad missions. Their website includes digital exhibits, maps, and teacher resources.
3. Harriet Tubman Museum (Cape May, NJ)
Tubman worked in Cape May during the 1850s to fund her missions. This museum highlights her connection to New Jersey and her broader legacy of freedom and resistance.
Digital Collections & Educational Resources
4. Library of Congress: Harriet Tubman Primary Sources
Features letters, photographs, and documents related to Tubman’s work, her abolitionist network, and Civil War service. A great resource for teaching and research.
5. National Women’s History Museum: Harriet Tubman Biography & Resources
Provides a solid overview of Tubman’s life along with curated links for further learning.
6. Smithsonian Magazine: Harriet Tubman
A collection of articles exploring her life, legacy, and ongoing efforts to honor her — including coverage of the $20 bill debate and historical reinterpretations.
7. New York History Net - Primary Sources on Harriet Tubman
Detailed breakdowns of Tubman’s missions, historical essays, and first-person accounts.
Feel free to add other resources in the comments!
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