Harriet Tubman, the renowned abolitionist and political activist, has left behind a legacy of courage, resilience, and freedom. Her words continue to inspire and empower people from all walks of life. These quotes serve as a reminder of her unwavering spirit and dedication to overcoming adversity. Whether you're seeking motivation to tackle your personal challenges, fuel for your activism, or simply looking for some empowering words, Harriet Tubman's quotes provide a guiding light. Through this collection of quotes categorized under various themes, you can capture the essence of her strength and wisdom. This article presents ten captivating subtitles, each reflecting a different facet of Harriet Tubman's life and work. Let these timeless words inspire your journey to freedom and courage.
Quotes on Courage
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer."
"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."
"I would fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted."
"God's time is always near. He set the North Star in the heavens; He gave me the strength in my limbs; He meant I should be free."
"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."
"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."
"I never lost a passenger."
"I should fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted."
"Quakers almost as good as colored. They call themselves friends and you can trust them every time."
"If you want to taste freedom, keep going."
"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."
Quotes on Freedom
"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 grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it."
"Slavery is the next thing to hell."
"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 make a home for them in the North, and the Lord to help me, I would bring them all here."
"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."
"Freedom's not bought with dust."
"We've got to learn to trust our own wake."
"I would make a home for them in the North, and the Lord helping me, I would bring them all here."
"I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom."
"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."
"There’s two things I got a right to, and these are, Death or Liberty—one or the other I mean to have."
Quotes on Perseverance
"I can't die but once."
"There are things you can do and there are things that you can’t do. You learn the difference and know what’s worth fighting for."
"I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death."
"I had two sisters carried away in a chain-gang - one of them left two children. We were always uneasy."
"You have to think outside the box if you want to survive. The world doesn't play fair. Not then. Not now."
"Greatness is not measured by the good deeds that we do, but by what we can inspire others to do."
"If you want something, you need to want it enough to fight for it through thick and thin, day and night."
"Remember the times when we have been entangled for hours?"
"I had two sisters carried away in a chain-gang; one of them left two children."
"What you choose not to remember, the heart will choose not to forget."
"There are times in a freedom fighter's life when the only choice you have is to fight."
"I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."
Quotes on Leadership
"I would have made a good general, because I would have saved the people."
"I had crossed the line. I was free."
"I knew the stars, the rivers, the forests. All helping points in my wandering ways."
"When the call to freedom is moaned like a song, let your heart be the drum that beats to the call."
"We ain't where we want to be; we ain't where we a-gonna be; but thank God, we ain't where we was."
"A leader’s role is not to control people or stay on top of things, but rather to inspire others to help guide themselves."
"We were walking by faith, without sight; and I shall always give thanks to the Good Lord that I never put my feet into mortal danger."
"Slavery may wiggle out of a law, but it can’t wiggle out of our bonds or our faith."
"When scared, just remember it’s better to have a little bit of common sense with wisdom than having plenty of wisdom without common sense."
"If you want to understand a leader, look at the organization. They become a mirror of the leader’s soul."
"A nation’s strength arises from unity, passion, and determination."
"I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger."
Quotes on Faith
"God’s time is always near."
"'Twas the wind that told me. The river told me. The trees told me. That’s how I knew."
"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."
"Never lost faith. Faith is what keeps the heart from wavering, the soul from drifting."
"We shall never lose hope nor courage waiting in faith till the God we worship disperses the rumbling clouds."
"I trust to God and am a listener to His guidings."
"God seems to have placed me in the position to do great things with my faith as my guide."
"Faith's greatest balm is that it directs us towards the Almighty's will."
"We always did trust to find some kind of deliverance, however dark things looked."
"Faith is the guiding light that puts one on the right track."
"God's time and man's time are not one and the same."
"I prayed all night long for my master. I earnestly prayed that God would make him see the ways of slavery better."
Quotes on Determination
"If you hear dogs, keep going..."
"I have heard their groans and sighs, and seen their tears, and I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them. I…
"I can’t die but once."
"I freed a thousand slaves, I could have freed more if they knew they were slaves."
"The more work I did, the more I could endure, and the clearer I saw the value tied to determination."
"You should never stop. If you hear dogs, keep going. If you see 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."
"I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say—I never lost a single passenger."
"If you see torches in the woods, keep going."
"A determined person should seek at all times to give their level best."
"If you feel you have to be free, then free is what you have to be."
"Working for someone else's comfort is masterwork without its own reprieve."
"Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us."
Quotes on Justice
"There is no force so hard that the heart of a fighter cannot muster greater strength against bound injustices."
"Let my people go, they are tired of the fetters of injustice."
"Justice is one of the lenses through which freedom first pierces the shackles."
"We don’t have time for hope or regret, there is courage to muster and justice to defend."
"The true test of justice isn’t found in a calling or labeled motion, it is found in action and principle."
"Let those who fight for justice, bear her mantle equally and with passion."
"I have dreamt of freedom and awakened in a graveyard of apathy, but today I rise because what is right is always right."
"The path of justice isn't easily broken, for neither should one find an excuse in hesitation."
"Justice has dormancy only when the champions of justice are asleep, or without faith and zeal."
"Where courage and justice entwine, with resolve, freedom finds her wings."
"Slavery is the robbery of freedom sanctioned by apathy."
"Justice shouldn't be garnered by years or wealth — it is an innately divine right."
Quotes on Hope
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer; and hope is the first and last breath of that dream."
"Everybody’s got to hope in something—hope in God gives the heart wings to fly."
"Troubles are the shadows of the light that hope holds ever bright."
"Hope is an anchor that keeps us steady in the fierce winds of life."
"I never lost faith. Hope and courage marked my way."
"A penny-worth of hope is a treasure chest worth of light."
"Often hope is like rain born in the fields, never ceasing until the soil drinks its fill."
"I have died more times in dreams than I have ever dared in life — but hope springs eternal."
"The heart chooses to hope, when the world is dim and the songs of change less sung."
"An unyielding hope for freedom is an unyielding march toward it."
"Hope never tires, her wings lift us skyward, and her song binds us together."
"I have found that hope kept me alive, while everything else felt dead."
Quotes on Resilience
"Every great work, every great business, always takes a lot of time. Resilience is its own reward."
"No matter what they're going through, their strength within gives them the resilience mothers have always known."
"They call it resilience, but I call it faith; life's harrowing storms always tested us."
"I never lose faith for why God made me this resilient, for the tasks untold and the paths untrodden."
"When you learn how to care for yourself outside of the trouble, the trouble will elude you."
"Often, those who are firm of mind can bend the rules of destiny's choosing."
"The midnight darkness is often the greatest test of one's resilience."
"We must bend and not break, for through the pain comes the resilience to bear liberty."
"My work lasted till clear dawn, till then my strength bore me."
"Through danger and thin doubt, I always held fast, encouraged by the resilience that guards timeless dreams."
"The constant drip of water builds mountains of stone by those who believe in resilience."
"The beauty of resilience is it reminds us how to rise when weary."
Quotes on Legacy
"What we leave behind is not what is engraved in stone but what is woven into others."
"Legacy builds itself into action; what was once a murmur now roars through the voices of time."
"Our participation in the building of character begets a legacy that carries the torch of freedom."
"I might have been knocked down, but each fall shaped this legacy as a way forward for those in chains."
"Sides are chosen, wisdom finds the way and the legacy of one is sown through choices given."
"A life dedicated to service leaves a trail marked by the bright stars of hope touching many a heart."
"We do not choose our legacy, but we can define it as it defines us."
"Legacy isn’t left, it is lived through the passion of belief."
"Our legacy ignites when our dreams hold the heart of our purpose."
"For those who find a cause worth living, legacy bears the strength of will to uphold it."
"Nothing we do ever truly ends, it finds new beginnings on the lips of dreamers, euphoric and real."
"Leave footprints, make paths — legacy speaks of great strides made."
Final words
Harriet Tubman's powerful words continue to resonate with those who seek inspiration and empowerment. Her unwavering strength and determination are depicted through her quotes on courage, freedom, perseverance, leadership, and many other profound themes. A woman of fervent belief and unyielding spirit, Harriet Tubman’s legacy extends beyond her role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Her wisdom guides generations toward values of justice, resilience, and hope. In today's world, her quotes remain relevant as they challenge individuals to rise above adversity and seek freedom in all aspects of life. Let us remember her not only for her actions but also for the profound wisdom embedded in her words. She remains a beacon of light for all who endeavor toward liberty and justice, stirring courage as we navigate our personal and collective journeys. Let these reflections of Harriet Tubman's spirit inspire your everyday life, reminding you that no matter the obstacle, persistence and faith lead to triumph.
