Quote by Harriet Tubman: “There was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.”

This declaration reveals Tubman's fierce determination to achieve freedom at any cost. She states that life without liberty is not worth living, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to her own emancipation, even facing death, and refusing to live in bondage.

Recounting her mindset during her escape from slavery in the 1840s, this quote captures the ultimate stakes involved. It reflects the desperate courage required to resist and flee, symbolizing the profound value of freedom over life itself for those in bondage.

American abolitionist and political activist who escaped slavery and then led approximately thirteen missions to rescue around seventy enslaved people using the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War she served as a spy, scout, and nurse for the Union Army.