Description

Bradford (1818-1912) was an American writer and historian best remembered for her two pioneering biographical books on Harriet Tubman. Tubman (c.1822-1913) was a former slave, abolitionist and political activist in the women's suffrage movement who had served as a scout and spy for the US Army during the Civil War and helped many escaped slaves reach safety through the Underground Railroad network. In 1869 Bradford wrote this, the first of those two books, in order to raise funds for Tubman's support and through her use of extensive interviews with Tubman the two became friends. It was the first biography of Tubman of any depth and because Bradford was one of the first Caucasian authors to deal with African-American topics her work attracted worldwide attention, selling very well. In 1886 she followed up with 'Harriet Tubman, Moses of Her People', again to assist in supporting Tubman. Bradford's other published work consisted mainly of children's literature and she was one of the first American women to specialise in that field.