Do you know why Harriet Tubman carried the shot gun?

The cover of "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry. Unless you've been hunting for the past week, you've likely heard that Harriet Tubman, the Civil War nurse, cook, spy, and scout will replace President Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill. read more

What you may not know is that Tubman was a pretty hardcore badass, conducting secret missions to free groups of slaves on the Underground Railroad, during which she carried a small pistol along with a small ivory-handled sword. In fact she was often known to, and was depicted, carrying firearms. read more

Harriet Tubman carried a small pistol with her on her rescue missions, although mostly for protection from slave catchers, but also to encourage some weak-hearted runaways from turning back and risking the safety of the rest of the group. read more