She claimed her unruly hair once saved her life
Tubman’s rebelliousness as a child slave would often result in whippings or beatings. However, on one notable occasion, she paid a much higher price for a little act of resistance. And it was something that would affect her for the rest of her long life. The exact date of the incident has been lost to history. However, thanks to Tubman’s own testimony, we know almost all of the details.
It was a day when Tubman was sent out on errands rather than forced to work in her master’s home. Upon reaching the store, she came across a young slave boy. He was ‘owned’ by another family and had been caught attempting to run away. The slave’s plantation supervisor ordered Tubman to help restrain the boy. Bravely, she defied his orders. The slave boy managed to break free and run away.
As he was running, the cruel overseer threw a metal weight at him. He missed and the weight hit Tubman on the head instead. She was knocked unconscious and was bleeding heavily from the head. According to Tubman’s own recollections, had it not been for the fact that her hair was thick and unruly after years of not being able to cut it, she would have been killed outright. As it was, she was carried back to her owner’s house. He tried to sell her, fearing she would be of no use to him, but was unsuccessful.
Tubman’s family looked after her for several days as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She suffered fits and even started falling asleep suddenly and with no warning. This narcolepsy, as well as the fits, stayed with her for many years, a lasting testament to both the cruelty of the plantation owners and their staff, and to Tubman’s bravery.