In the later years of her life, Tubman was an avid supporter of the women’s suffrage movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some of her earliest interactions with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony happened in New York in the 1880s. Tubman became well-acquainted with them, even speaking to various associations supporting the cause like the New England Women’s Suffrage Association (NEWSA) and the National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) during the 1890s.

 

Tubman never did see the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920 due to her death in 1913. Even then, it wasn’t until 1965 when African American women truly did receive suffrage with the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

 

However, despite all of her accomplishments, it cannot be said for certain whether Tubman would fit the modern definition of a feminist. She is widely used as a female figure of authority and strength for the movement, but with the ever-evolving movement, it is difficult to fully understand what Tubman’s position would be.