Harriet Tubman was born in 1820 or 1821 on a large plan tation in Dorchester County Maryland Although the plantation had a big house with many rooms and fine furniture Harriet was born in a small one room log hut far behind the big house The hut she was born in had a dirt floor no windows and no furniture
Harriet was the sixth of eleven children Her father Benjamin Ross and her mother Harriet Green were both slaves They were owned by Edward Brodas He owned Harriet Tubman too
The slaves worked hard all day but they weren't paid Harriet hated slavery She was wild and often beaten She was not willing to do as she was told One time when Harriet was hired out to work for someone else she saw a bowl filled with lumps of sugar She said later Now you know I never had anything good no sweet no sugar and that sugar right by me did look so nice She took one lump from the bowl
Harriet's mistress Miss Susan saw her take it and chased after her with a whip Harriet ran from the house and hid with the pigs She ate potato peelings and other scraps until she was so hungry she had to go back When she did she was whipped again and again
