Loading Page...

What happened to Harriet Tubman when she was 13?

Born into slavery on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1822, Tubman was named Araminta by her enslaved parents, Ben and Rit Ross. Nearly killed at the age of 13 by a blow to her head, Minty recovered and grew strong and determined to be free.



When Harriet Tubman was approximately 13 years old, she suffered a catastrophic and life-altering head injury while standing her ground in a dry goods store. An overseer was attempting to stop a runaway enslaved person and threw a two-pound metal weight, intending to hit the fugitive. Instead, the weight struck Tubman squarely in the forehead, crushing part of her skull. She was left without medical care for days and was forced back into the fields while still bleeding and semi-conscious. This injury caused her to suffer from seizures, severe headaches, and "sleeping spells" (now believed to be narcolepsy or temporal lobe epilepsy) for the rest of her life. Paradoxically, she interpreted the vivid dreams and hallucinations she experienced during these spells as divine revelations, which fueled her spiritual resolve and courage in leading hundreds to freedom.

People Also Ask

“She was five feet two inches (157 centimeters) tall, born a slave, had a debilitating illness, and was unable to read or write. Yet here was this tough woman who could take charge and lead men, Allen says. I got to like her pretty quickly because of her strength and her spirit.”

MORE DETAILS