Harriet Tubman Quotations

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

In my dreams and visions, I seemed to see a line, and on the other side of that line were green fields, and lovely flowers, and beautiful white ladies, who stretched out their arms to me over the line, but I couldn't reach them no-how. I always fell before I got to the line.

I said to de Lord, 'I'm goin' to hold steady on to you, an' I know you'll see me through.'

Twasn't me, 'twas the Lord! I always told Him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect You to lead me,' an' He always did.

Read my letter to the old folks, and give my love to them, and tell my brothers to be always watching unto prayer, and when the good old ship of Zion comes along, to be ready to step aboard.

I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say; I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.

I had reasoned this out in my mind, 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.

I would fight for my liberty so long as my strength lasted, and if the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me.

I grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it.

As I lay so sick on my bed, from Christmas till March, I was always praying for poor ole master. 'Pears like I didn't do nothing but pray for ole master. 'Oh, Lord, convert ole master;' 'Oh, dear Lord, change dat man's heart, and make him a Christian.'

'Pears like I prayed all the time, 'bout my work, everywhere, I prayed an' groaned to the Lord.

I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.

Why, der language down dar in de far South is jus' as different from ours in Maryland, as you can think. Dey laughed when dey heard me talk, an' I could not understand 'dem, no how.

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and I felt like I was in heaven.

I've heard 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' read, and I tell you Mrs. Stowe's pen hasn't begun to paint what slavery is as I have seen it at the far South. I've seen de real thing, and I don't want to see it on no stage or in no theater.

I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.

Most of those coming from the mainland are very destitute, almost naked. I am trying to find places for those able to work, and provide for them as best I can, so as to lighten the burden on the Government as much as possible, while at the same time they learn to respect themselves by earning their own living.

Quakers almost as good as colored. They call themselves friends and you can trust them every time.

'Pears like my heart go flutter, flutter, and then they may say, 'Peace, Peace,' as much as they likes - I know it's goin' to be war!

I think there's many a slaveholder'll get to Heaven. They don't know better. They acts up to the light they have.

Lord, I'm going to hold steady on to You and You've got to see me through.

Quakers almost as good as colored.... They call themselves friends and you can trust them every time.

I looked at my hands, to see if I was the same person now that I was free. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over de fields, and I felt like I was in heaven.

We saw the lightning and that was the guns and then we heard the thunder and that was the big guns; and then we heard the rain falling and that was the blood falling; and when we came to get in the crops, it was dead men that we reaped.

Pears like I prayed all the time, 'bout my work, everywhere, I prayed an' groaned to the Lord.

I link dar's many a slaveholder'll git to Heaven. Dey don't know no better. Dey acts up to de light dey hab.

I was the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.

I started with this idea in my head, "There's two things I've got a right to, death or liberty."

Quoting Stokely Carmichael (1941-1998) US civil rights leader We had no more courage than Harriet Tubman or Marcus Garvey had in their times. We just had a more vulnerable enemy.

I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.

I am at peace with God and all mankind.

The Lord who told me to take care of my people meant me to do it just as long as I live, and so I did what he told me.

I knew of a man who was sent to the State Prison for twenty-five years. All these years he was always thinking of his home, and counting by years, months, and days, the time till he should be free, and see his family and friends once more.

Marcus Garvey had in their times. We just had a more vulnerable enemy.

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer.

I would have been able to free a thousand more slaves if I could only have convinced them that they were slaves.

Never wound a snake; kill it.

Twant me, 'twas the Lord. I always told him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me,' and He always did.

I can't die but once.

Slavery is the next thing to hell.

I had crossed de line of which I had so long been dreaming. I was free; but dere was no one to welcome me to de land of freedom, I was a stranger in a strange land, and my home after all was down in de old cabin quarter, wid de ole folks, and my brudders and sisters. But to dis solemn resolution I came; I was free, and dey should be free also; I would make a home for dem in de North, and de Lord helping me, I would bring dem all dere.

If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more.

If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.