Harriet Tubman Tubman has been called the “Moses of Black America.” Despite being plagued with health problems after one of several beatings from slave owners split open her skull, Tubman fought tirelessly and selflessly to help others, risking her life several times in the process. In the space of just a decade, Tubman rescued hundreds of African Americans from a life of slavery. During the civil war, Tubman first registered as a nurse before utilizing her experience and knowledge of the routes through which she helped slaves escape to map terrain for the Union Army.
She even reportedly led armed assaults and recruited liberated slaves into the Union Army. For most of her life she never received the recognition she deserved or compensation from the army for her tireless work to help win the war. But she never deviated from her selfless mission— nor let her health or poverty get in her way.