Harriet Tubman was one of the most prominent and courageous leaders of the Underground Railroad during the antebellum era. She is best known for having made 19 trips back to Maryland to lead over 300 slaves to freedom in the North and Canada. Tubman was a short but powerfully built woman who stood around 5 feet tall.
Estimating Harriet Tubman’s Height
There are no definitive historical records that document Harriet Tubman’s exact height. However, based on written descriptions of her and photos that exist, historians estimate that she stood between 5’0″ and 5’3″ tall as an adult.
Some key sources that provide evidence to estimate Tubman’s height include:
- Sarah Bradford’s 1869 biography “Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman,” which describes her as “very short and thin.”
- An 1869 newspaper article in The Auburn Daily Advertiser that called Tubman a “short, dumpy looking negro woman.”
- An 1886 newspaper clipping that records her height as “5 feet and 3 inches.”
- A 1911 newspaper article in The Memphis Commercial Appeal that notes “she herself was short in stature.”
The few existing photos of Harriet Tubman from the mid to late 1800s show her to be quite diminutive in stature compared to other women and men in the pictures.
Context on Average Heights During Tubman’s Time
When considering Harriet Tubman’s height, it is important to view it in the context of typical heights for her time period. Here is some background on average heights in the early to mid 1800s when Tubman lived:
- The average height for American-born white males during the 1840s was around 5 feet 8 inches.
- The average height of freed black women born in the 1850s was around 5 feet 1 inch.
- Enslaved black women were generally shorter than freedwomen.
- Malnutrition during childhood and adolescence often stunted growth for slaves.
- Historical records suggest Harriet Tubman was between 5 feet and 5 feet 3 inches tall as an adult.
Given typical heights at the time, Tubman would have been considered very short. Her lack of height was likely exacerbated by childhood malnutrition and hardship.
Harriet Tubman’s Powerful Stature Despite Her Height
Though Harriet Tubman was a short woman, contemporary reports indicate she was powerfully built and possessed great physical strength and stamina. Her small stature seemed at odds with her muscular physique.
Here are some accounts of Harriet Tubman’s strong build:
- Abolitionist Thomas Garrett described her as “rather small in stature, but big in heart.”
- Historian Kate Clifford Larson notes she had a “stocky and muscular body.”
- An 1886 newspaper noted she had a “muscular physique” despite her short height.
- A 1869 biography emphasized her “compactly built” figure with strength that “seemed almost supernatural.”
Harriet Tubman was known to possess tremendous physical resilience. Her small but sturdy frame likely proved advantageous as she navigated difficult terrain and harsh conditions while guiding escaping slaves to freedom.
Harriet Tubman’s Exact Height Remains Elusive
In summary, while we don’t have definitive proof of Harriet Tubman’s exact height, historians estimate she stood between 5 feet and 5 feet 3 inches tall as an adult. Some key points:
- She was considered very short compared to typical heights of her era.
- Her short stature was likely impacted by childhood malnutrition and hardship as an enslaved person.
- She compensated for her small height with a muscular, stocky build and great physical strength.
- Her compact stature may have aided her abilities as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
- The exact number of inches Harriet Tubman measured is still unknown and lost to history.
Though small in height, Harriet Tubman stood as a towering iconic figure who demonstrated tremendous courage, resilience and leadership. Her physical stature did not limit her abilities to defy injustice and help others escape to freedom.
Harriet Tubman’s Estimated Height Compared to Other Historical Figures
To provide additional context around Harriet Tubman’s height, here is a table comparing her estimated 5’0″ – 5’3″ stature to some notable contemporaries:
| Historical Figure | Estimated Height |
|---|---|
| Harriet Tubman | 5’0″ – 5’3″ |
| Sojourner Truth | 6’0″ |
| Frederick Douglass | 6’0″ |
| Abraham Lincoln | 6’4″ |
| Jefferson Davis | 5’10” |
| Walt Whitman | 6’2″ |
| Queen Victoria | 4’11” |
This table illustrates that Harriet Tubman was relatively short even compared to other famous figures of her era. Many prominent male leaders averaged 5’10” or taller. Tubman’s estimated maximum height of 5’3″ was still taller than 4’11” Queen Victoria.
How Tall Were Harriet Tubman’s Parents?
The exact heights of Harriet Tubman’s parents, Harriet “Rit” Green and Ben Ross, are also not documented. However, some inferences about their stature can be made:
- They were African-born, with Rit from modern day Ghana and Ben from Nigeria.
- Enslaved Africans were on average taller than African-Americans.
- Malnutrition during youth stunted most slave’s growth.
- Tubman’s mother Rit was described as “small and energetic.”
- Her father Ben was likely between 5’5″ and 5’8″ based on typical male slave heights.
While exact numbers are not available, Tubman likely inherited her short stature from her mother in particular. However, her father Ben Ross was taller than Tubman at around 5’5″ to 5’8″.
Growth Conditions During Tubman’s Youth
In examining what factors might have contributed to Harriet Tubman’s relatively short stature, we can look to her early childhood living conditions:
- Malnutrition – Slave children often suffered from malnutrition that stunted growth.
- Hard labor – Tubman did difficult field work from a young age that could impact height.
- Illness – Sickness bouts early in life may have impaired her development.
- Injury – A head injury at age 12 could have affected her bone and muscle maturation.
- Genetics – Born to a short mother, Tubman was likely predisposed to be petite.
The nutritional deprivation, difficult work requirements, childhood illness and injury Tubman endured likely all contributed to her achieving a shorter-than-average adult height for the time period.
Harriet Tubman’s Height Later in Life
After escaping from slavery in her late 20s, did Harriet Tubman’s height change at all as she aged into her late 60s? Available records suggest:
- She experienced periods of sickness and poor health that may have shrunk her stature.
- Age-related curvature of the spine, or dowager’s hump, may have slightly shortened her height.
- Osteoporosis resulting from malnourishment could have caused vertebral fractures and loss of inches.
- Arthritis and unhealed fractures possibly stooped or bent her posture.
- On the other hand, a more stable and nutritious diet could have ameliorated earlier malnutrition.
On balance, it appears Harriet Tubman was likely marginally shorter as a senior citizen than in her youth and mid-life. But given her petite stature, the loss of height was probably no more than 1-2 inches from her peak adult measurement.
Significance of Tubman’s Height in Her Life Story
What meaning and significance can be gleaned from Harriet Tubman’s short stature in evaluating her incredible life story?
- Resilience – Overcoming malnutrition and hardship as a slave child to achieve strength and endurance.
- Perseverance – Succeeding despite circumstances and body size limiting her physicality.
- Courage – Bravery to defy slave catchers and undertake dangerous missions to liberate others.
- Fierceness – Her small height encapsulated the enormous fierceness she demonstrated.
- Humility – She did not let her short height nor gender stop her from pursuing justice.
Rather than be constrained by societal expectations, Harriet Tubman’s small stature seemed to distill and concentrate her immense drive, vigor and tenacity. Her body height presented no obstacle to the heights of leadership, resistance and activism that she achieved.
Summary
In summary:
- Harriet Tubman’s exact adult height remains unknown, but historians estimate she stood between 5 feet and 5 feet 3 inches tall.
- Her short stature was impacted by childhood malnutrition and health conditions under slavery.
- Despite her diminutive height, she leveraged great inner strength and resilience earned through adversity.
- Her compact frame likely aided the dangerous physical exploits of her missions on the Underground Railroad.
- Harriet Tubman’s life remains an inspiration as she defied limitations imposed by her body size as well as race and gender.
Though small in physical height, Harriet Tubman stood as a towering beacon of freedom leading enslaved blacks to liberty. Her moral stature was unmatched despite her short biological stature.
