Question

make this 5 paragraphs and longer Harriet was a hero. In this essay I will explain how the text portrays Tubman's braver leadership and self sacrifice as a "conductor on the Underground Railroad," give examples of her repeated rescues and the risks she took, consider the opposing views that she was legally a fugitive in her time, and show why the moral case for heroism is strong. First, the text shows Tubman acting out of courage and care for others rather than self interest. According to the selection after winning her freedom she returned to the South numerous times to guide enslaved people to freedom as well; the author calls her a "conductor of the underground railroad" emphasizing her role as a leader. The narrative describes her planning, knowledge of safe routes, and steady calm in difficult circumstances, all qualities we associate with heroism. The text also highlights how she put herself in harms way again and again, refusing to leave others behind. Second the book gives us concrete examples of Tubmans sacrifice and skill that support calling her a hero. It recounts the hardships she endured - long night journeys, hiding from slave catchers, and the constant threat of being caught - it shows how she used courage, cunning, and care to bring people to freedom. The account stresses that she did this out of deep commitment to justice and family repeatedly risking punishment and death to help others. Those actions as narrated in the text  fit the definition of heroism : selfless, brave, and aimed at securing rights for people treated as property.  Some readers might argue that Tubman was a fugitive rather than a hero because she broke the laws of her time and led enslaved people away from their legal owners. The text itself acknowledges that slaveholders and authorities consider her a criminal and that the fugitive slave act made such escapes and rescues punishable. From a strictly legal historical perspective of the era it is accurate to call her a fugitive. Despite the legal label of fugitive in her historical context, the text supports the stronger, more enduring judgment that Harriet Tubman was a hero. Her repeated self sacrifice to free others her bravery in the face of violent danger, and her leadership as a conductor to the underground railroad show moral courage that outweighs the fact that she broke unjust laws. The book that represents her as someone who risked everything to do what was right, and on that basis she should be remembered in history as a hero.

Answer 1

Harriet Tubman was a hero. In this essay I will explain how the text portrays Tubman’s brave leadership and self-sacrifice as a “conductor on the Underground Railroad,” give concrete examples of her repeated rescues and the risks she took, consider the opposing view that she was legally a fugitive in her time, and show why the moral case for her heroism is strong and enduring. The selection makes a clear claim about Tubman’s character and actions, presenting her not simply as a historical actor who happened to escape slavery, but as a deliberate, sustained leader who organized and carried out missions to free others. That central judgment — that she acted out of principle and compassion rather than self-interest — is the throughline of the narrative and the basis for calling her a hero.

First, the text emphasizes Tubman’s leadership, courage, and care for others. After winning her own freedom in 1849, she returned to the South on repeated occasions to guide enslaved people northward; the author calls her a “conductor on the Underground Railroad,” a phrase that highlights her role as a planner and guide. The narrative describes her detailed knowledge of safe routes, her ability to assemble and rely on networks of allies, and her calm steadiness under pressure — qualities we commonly associate with heroic leadership. Rather than fleeing once she reached safety, Tubman chose to risk everything again and again, refusing to abandon family members and neighbors. That pattern of returning to life-threatening situations for the sake of others gives moral weight to the portrayal of her as more than simply fortunate or lucky; it makes her actions intentional and sacrificial.

Second, the text offers concrete examples of Tubman’s sacrifice and skill that support calling her a hero. It recounts long night journeys through swamps and woods, the need to evade slave catchers, the reliance on coded routes and signals, and the constant threat of capture and severe punishment. Historical accounts commonly credit her with leading roughly a dozen expeditions and directly assisting dozens of people to freedom; whatever the precise numbers, the text stresses repeated, sustained activity rather than a single daring escape. Each mission required physical endurance, knowledge of terrain and people, and the ability to keep others calm and focused under stress. The account also makes clear that Tubman acted out of deep commitment to justice and family: her work was neither accidental nor purely opportunistic, but motivated by a conviction that people being treated as property deserved liberation regardless of the personal danger involved.

Some readers might argue that Tubman was a fugitive rather than a hero because she broke the laws of her time and led enslaved people away from their legal owners. The text itself acknowledges this perspective: slaveholders and authorities labeled her a criminal, and laws such as the Fugitive Slave Act made escapes and rescues punishable by fines, imprisonment, or worse. From a strictly legal and historical viewpoint within that era, it is accurate to call Tubman a fugitive. Yet the text also invites readers to weigh the distinction between positive law (what the law was) and moral law (what justice requires). When laws compel or permit grave injustice, the moral judgment of those who resist can be stronger than the legal label affixed to them at the time.

Despite the legal label of fugitive in her historical context, the text supports the stronger, more enduring judgment that Harriet Tubman was a hero. Her repeated self-sacrifice to free others, her bravery in the face of violent danger, and her leadership as a conductor on the Underground Railroad demonstrate moral courage that outweighs her violation of unjust laws. The narrative shows a person who risked everything to do what she believed was right, and it encourages readers to remember her for that moral courage. For these reasons the book represents Tubman as someone who deserves recognition not simply as a historical figure, but as a moral exemplar whose life invites admiration and whose legacy continues to teach about the costs and demands of justice.