Christianity has always been a crucial part of Tubman’s life and a big motivator for her actions. When she was 12, she developed narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by sudden attacks of drowsiness, cataplexy, and hallucinations, due to an injury to her forehead. She interpreted her hallucinations as messages from God, and she lived her life praying and looking to religion to help her.

 

She has said that religion is the reason why she made all of her trips back down to the South to free other slaves, earning her the nickname “Moses”. Her motivation and strength came from God, praying that he protects her and her people as she brought other slaves to freedom. During her trips, she listened to the voice of God guiding her and only going where he told her to go.

Tubman as a religious leader has often been forgotten by most people today. Nevertheless, her influence was far-reaching. Nell Irvin Painter wrote, “The older she grew the stronger became the hold of the church upon her thinking. Her reputation as a religionist spread widely, and religious journals often spoke of her work (e.g. the Salvation Army Journal, the Evangelist…).” Groups like the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) still look to Tubman as a great Christian influence, naming a chapter in Durham, North Carolina after her for her influence on young, Christian African American women.