If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would you choose? Why? by Matthew

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would you choose? Why? by Matthew - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Matt Wilcox

Varsity Tutors Scholarship

2/8./16
Dinner Date With Harriet Tubman

Just about everyone has at least heard about Harriet Tubman. Most people are aware that she was an African American woman who was freed from slavery, and then used her instincts and bravery to assist others in gaining freedom. Though one must wonder, how much do we as a society ACTUALLY know about Harriet Tubman? There are many fascinating aspects of Tubman’s life “that some people may not be aware of. This is why I have decided that if I could have dinner with any historical figure, it would be Harriet Tubman.
Harriet was born into slavery in 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her original name was actually Araminta Harriet Ross. She was the youngest of 9 children. Harriet’s childhood was full of traumatizing challenges. Aside from the fact that 3 of her sisters were sold away when she was just a child, violence was part of her daily routine. Some of the physical aftermath of that violence, followed her into adulthood. There was an incident in her early adulthood, where she was being told to apprehend a disobedient slave, once she refused, she was struck over the head with a 2 pound weight that cracked her skull. It was not until she was around age 30 that she was finally freed to become a leading abolitionist in the North.
Rather than laying low, and enjoying the bliss of freedom, she decided she wanted others to feel that way as well. She believed all of slaves in captivity deserved a chance at a real life. She developed a strong system of utilizing the underground railroad to her advantage and freeing many enslaved families. There were instances where she was forced to put aside her kind heart. There are stories of her in situations where she was forced to aim guns at slaves she was helping capture. This was because those freed slave were having thoughts of abandoning the mission, putting the entire freedom brigade in danger.
There is a long list of discussions I would like to have with Harriet Tubman. If we know this much about her after so many years have passed, assuming her story has been altered throughout history. I would love to ask her about her real life experiences from her perspective. She is a completely underrated character of American history and a great role model of mine.