THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE A Play About Harriet Tubman
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Narrator 1 – Sets the scene Narrator 2 – Continues the story Narrator 3 – Shares historical facts Harriet Tubman – Enslaved woman who escapes and becomes a conductor on the Underground Railroad Ben Ross – Harriet's father, an enslaved man Old Rit – Harriet's mother, an enslaved woman Minty (Young Harriet) – Harriet as a child (Harriet's birth name was Araminta, called 'Minty') Thomas Garrett – A Quaker stationmaster on the Underground Railroad in Delaware William Still – A free Black man who helped freedom seekers in Philadelphia Freedom Seeker 1 (James) – A man escaping slavery with Harriet's help Freedom Seeker 2 (Eliza) – A woman escaping slavery with Harriet's help Freedom Seeker 3 (Henry) – A young man escaping slavery Freedom Seeker 4 (Nora) – A woman, tired and frightened on the journey
Freedom Seeker 5 (George) – A man who almost turns back Slave Catcher 1 – A man hired to track down freedom seekers Slave Catcher 2 – His partner
Plantation Overseer – The man who manages the enslaved workers Plantation Owner Edward Brodess – The man who enslaved Harriet Abolitionist Speaker – A free Black man speaking at an anti-slavery meeting Philadelphia Citizen 1 – A free person in the North Philadelphia Citizen 2 – A free person in the North Soldier 1 – A Union Army soldier during the Civil War Soldier 2 – A Union Army soldier Freed Person – Someone liberated during the Combahee River Raid Child – A young child among the freed people
SETTING: Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, 1840s–1860s
ACT ONE: BORN INTO CHAINS
[A plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. A child, MINTY, plays near a wooden fence. HARRIET'S PARENTS watch nearby.]
NARRATOR 1: Harriet Tubman was born around 1822 on a plantation in Maryland. Her birth name was Araminta Ross — her family called her Minty. From her very first days, she was enslaved. NARRATOR 2: Enslaved people had no freedom, no wages, and no legal rights. Families could be separated and sold at any time. Children were put to work when they were very young. NARRATOR 3: But Minty was not an ordinary child. She was brave, determined, and she had an extraordinary faith that God would lead her to freedom. MINTY: (looking up at the sky) Papa, why can we not go where we want to go? BEN ROSS: (kneeling beside her, gently) We live under an unjust law, Minty. But unjust laws can be changed. And God's law — God's law says every person is free. OLD RIT: (softly) Hush, Benjamin. Not so loud. BEN ROSS: (quietly but firmly) She needs to know the truth, Rit. She needs to know who she really is. MINTY: Who am I really, Papa? BEN ROSS: You are free in your heart, child. And one day — I believe it — you will be free everywhere. [Years pass. MINTY has grown into HARRIET TUBMAN. She works in the fields. The PLANTATION OVERSEER watches.] NARRATOR 1: When Harriet was a teenager, a terrible thing happened. An overseer threw a heavy iron weight at another enslaved person — and it struck Harriet instead, hitting her in the head.
NARRATOR 2: The injury was severe. For the rest of her life, Harriet suffered from sudden sleeping spells she could not control. But the injury also brought something else — vivid visions that she believed were messages from God. HARRIET TUBMAN: (to herself, quietly) I hear you. I will trust you. Show me the way.
ACT TWO: FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
[A dark night on the plantation. HARRIET prepares to escape. Her brothers JAMES and BEN join her briefly, then lose their nerve.]
NARRATOR 3: In 1849, Harriet Tubman learned she might be sold further south — away from her family and everything she knew. She made a decision. She would run. HARRIET TUBMAN: (to herself) I told the Lord I was going to hold steady to Him, and that He had to see me through. And I believed He would.
[HARRIET moves silently through the night, following the North Star. She arrives at the home of THOMAS GARRETT.]
THOMAS GARRETT: (opening his door quietly) Come in, come in quickly. You are safe here. My name is Thomas Garrett. I am a friend. HARRIET TUBMAN: (breathing hard) I've walked all night. THOMAS GARRETT: Then rest. Tomorrow I will help you get to the next station. You are on the Underground Railroad now. HARRIET TUBMAN: Underground Railroad? THOMAS GARRETT: It is not truly underground, and not truly a railroad. It is a network of people — Black and white — who believe in freedom. They will pass you from one safe house to the next until you reach the North. HARRIET TUBMAN: (with wonder) People I have never met... helping me? THOMAS GARRETT: Hundreds of them. You are not alone. [HARRIET continues north and arrives in Philadelphia. WILLIAM STILL greets her.]
WILLIAM STILL:
Welcome to Philadelphia. You are free, Harriet. Legally free.
HARRIET TUBMAN:
(looking around, taking it in) Free. (pause) But my family is still back there. WILLIAM STILL: What will you do? HARRIET TUBMAN: I'm going back. I'm going back for all of them. WILLIAM STILL: (quietly) Do you understand how dangerous that is? HARRIET TUBMAN: I understand. But I was free before I got here — free in my soul. Now I just need to bring the others with me.
ACT THREE: CONDUCTOR ON THE RAILROAD
[The dark forest. HARRIET leads a group of FREEDOM SEEKERS north. They move in single file, low and quiet.]
NARRATOR 1: Harriet Tubman made nineteen dangerous trips back into the South. Each time, she led groups of enslaved people to freedom. She was never caught, and she never lost a single passenger. HARRIET TUBMAN: (whispering) Listen to me. We move at night. We follow the North Star — that cluster of stars they call the Drinking Gourd. Silence is our best weapon. FREEDOM SEEKER 1 (JAMES): (whispering) How far to the next safe house? HARRIET TUBMAN: Far enough. Keep moving. FREEDOM SEEKER 4 (NORA): (frightened, stumbling) I can't go on. I'm so tired. Maybe I should go back... HARRIET TUBMAN: (firmly but kindly) You cannot go back, Nora. If you go back, you'll be questioned. They'll find out about all of us. FREEDOM SEEKER 5 (GEORGE): (panicking) I want to go home. I want to go home! HARRIET TUBMAN: (with steel in her voice) Dead folks tell no tales. We all go forward together, or none of us get there. Now walk.
[SLAVE CATCHERS approach in the distance, with a lantern.]
SLAVE CATCHER 1:
(shining a lantern) I heard something. Over there, in the brush.
SLAVE CATCHER 2:
It's probably just an animal.
SLAVE CATCHER 1: Could be runaways. There's a big reward for a woman called Moses. [HARRIET and the group hold completely still, hidden in the darkness. Long tense pause. The SLAVE CATCHERS move away.]
FREEDOM SEEKER 3 (HENRY):
(barely breathing) That was close.
HARRIET TUBMAN:
(exhaling) God was with us. Now let's move. [They arrive at THOMAS GARRETT's station again. He hands them shoes and food.]
THOMAS GARRETT: (pressing food into their hands) Take these. And God bless you. Every one of you. FREEDOM SEEKER 2 (ELIZA): Why do you risk so much for people you don't even know? THOMAS GARRETT: I know you. You are human beings. That is enough.
ACT FOUR: GENERAL TUBMAN
[Philadelphia. An abolitionist meeting. An ABOLITIONIST SPEAKER addresses a crowd. HARRIET TUBMAN stands nearby.]
NARRATOR 2: Harriet Tubman became famous in anti-slavery circles — though her identity had to be kept secret from those who wanted to recapture her. People called her 'Moses' — like the prophet who led his people out of slavery in the Bible. ABOLITIONIST SPEAKER: The woman you see before you has led more than seventy people to freedom. She has never been caught. She has never lost a soul. Friends — I give you Moses! PHILADELPHIA CITIZEN 1: (awestruck) She did all that? PHILADELPHIA CITIZEN 2: And she went back again and again? Knowing she could be captured? HARRIET TUBMAN: (addressing the crowd) I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger. But I want you to know — I could have freed a thousand more, if only they had known they were slaves.
[The Civil War. HARRIET, now dressed practically for field work, speaks with UNION SOLDIERS.]
NARRATOR 3: When the Civil War began in 1861, Harriet Tubman joined the Union Army. She worked as a nurse, a spy, and eventually led a daring military raid. SOLDIER 1: General Tubman — our scouts are ready. We follow your plan tonight. HARRIET TUBMAN: Good. We go up the Combahee River before dawn. Move quietly, move quickly, and we'll free every soul along those plantations. SOLDIER 2: How many do you think? HARRIET TUBMAN: Hundreds. Maybe more.
[Dawn. The raid is successful. FREED PEOPLE pour onto the Union boats. A CHILD clings to their parent.]
FREED PERSON:
(overwhelmed, to Harriet) You came for us. You actually came.
HARRIET TUBMAN: (taking their hand) I told you I would come. I told everybody I would come. CHILD: (looking up at Harriet) Are we really free? HARRIET TUBMAN: (kneeling to the child's level) You really are. And nobody will ever take that from you. [All cast members gather for the finale.] NARRATOR 1: Harriet Tubman freed more than 700 enslaved people over her lifetime. She was called 'the Moses of her people' and later, 'the General.' NARRATOR 2: After the Civil War, she continued her work — fighting for women's right to vote and caring for the elderly and poor. She opened a home for the aged in her community. NARRATOR 3: Harriet Tubman died in 1913 at approximately 90 years old. Her last words were, 'I go to prepare a place for you.' She was a woman of extraordinary courage, faith, and love. [HARRIET TUBMAN steps forward.] HARRIET TUBMAN: Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world. [Lights fade. End of play.]
— END —
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS The Moses of Her People — A Play About Harriet Tubman
Part A: English Language Arts (Questions 1–8) Directions: Choose the BEST answer for each question.
1. In Act Two, Harriet Tubman says, 'I told the Lord I was going to hold steady to Him, and that He had to see me through.' What does this line reveal about Harriet's character?
) A) She is uncertain and looking for someone to help her decide. ) B) She is deeply faithful and draws her courage from her beliefs. ) C) She is angry with God for keeping her enslaved. ) D) She wants to stay on the plantation with her family. [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.3 – Describe a character using details from the text.]
2. When Harriet says, 'Dead folks tell no tales,' what is she telling the freedom seekers? ) A) She is warning them that the journey is too dangerous to continue. ) B) She means that people who turn back could get captured and reveal information about the others. ) C) She is telling a ghost story to distract them from their fear. ) D) She is explaining that escaped slaves are not allowed to speak to anyone. [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.4 – Interpret figurative language and meaning.] 3. Why is Harriet Tubman called 'Moses' by the people in the play? ) A) Moses is her real first name. ) B) Like the biblical Moses who led enslaved people to freedom, Harriet led many people out of slavery to freedom. ) C) She lived near a river called the Moses River. ) D) Moses was the name of the plantation where she was born. [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.4 – Determine the meaning of literary allusions.] 4. What is the central theme of 'The Moses of Her People'? ) A) It is impossible to escape from slavery without help from the government. ) B) Courage, faith, and love for others can lead people to do extraordinary things. ) C) Following the North Star is the most important survival skill. ) D) The Underground Railroad was an actual railroad that ran underground. [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.2 – Determine the theme of a drama.]
5. In Act Three, Harriet refuses to let George turn back. Which detail from the play BEST explains why she is so firm about this? ) A) George is the slowest walker in the group. ) B) If George goes back, he could be questioned and reveal information about all of them. ) C) George does not know the route to freedom. ) D) Harriet is angry that George is not grateful enough. [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.1 – Cite textual evidence to explain character decisions.] 6. Thomas Garrett is described as a 'stationmaster' on the Underground Railroad. Based on the play, what does this term most likely mean? ) A) A person who worked at a real train station and helped people buy tickets ) B) A person who provided a safe hiding place for freedom seekers on their journey north ) C) A conductor who drove freedom seekers in carriages through the night ) D) A government official who gave freedom papers to escaped slaves [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.4 – Determine word meaning from context.] 7. In Act Four, the Abolitionist Speaker introduces Harriet by saying she 'never lost a passenger.' What does this phrase mean in context? ) A) Harriet never let anyone fall off the carriage during the journey. ) B) Every person she guided to freedom arrived safely — she never lost anyone she was leading. ) C) Harriet kept a count of all the tickets she sold. ) D) No one in her group was ever sick during a journey. [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.4 – Interpret figurative expressions in literary text.] 8. Which structural feature is used in this play to help the audience understand what happened between scenes? ) A) Songs sung by the characters ) B) Narrator speeches that provide historical context and connect events ) C) Letters read aloud by the characters ) D) Flashback scenes where Harriet remembers the past [NY ELA Standard: RL.4.5 – Explain how structure contributes to meaning in drama.]
Part B: Mathematics in Context (Questions 9–10) Directions: Use information from the play to answer these math questions.
9. Harriet Tubman made 19 trips back into the South to lead people to freedom. On average, she led about 4 people per trip. Which number sentence shows the total number of people she led to freedom using these averages?
) A) 19 + 4 = 23 ) B) 19 × 4 = 76 ) C) 19 − 4 = 15 ) D) 19 ÷ 4 = 4 remainder 3 [NY Math Standard: 4.OA.A.2 – Multiply to solve word problems.]
10. According to Narrator 1, the Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days. If Harriet Tubman's rescue missions each took about 2 weeks (14 days), and she made 19 missions, how many total days did she spend on rescue missions?
) A) 33 days ) B) 266 days ) C) 190 days ) D) 38 days [NY Math Standard: 4.NBT.B.5 – Multiply multi-digit numbers in context.]
ANSWER KEY The Moses of Her People — A Play About Harriet Tubman For Teacher Use Only
Part A: English Language Arts Question 1: B — RL.4.3 – Describe a character using details from the text. Question 2: B — RL.4.4 – Interpret figurative language and meaning. Question 3: B — RL.4.4 – Determine the meaning of literary allusions. Question 4: B — RL.4.2 – Determine the theme of a drama. Question 5: B — RL.4.1 – Cite textual evidence to explain character decisions. Question 6: B — RL.4.4 – Determine word meaning from context. Question 7: B — RL.4.4 – Interpret figurative expressions in literary text. Question 8: B — RL.4.5 – Explain how structure contributes to meaning in drama. Part B: Mathematics in Context Question 9: B — 4.OA.A.2 – Multiply to solve word problems. Question 10: B — 4.NBT.B.5 – Multiply multi-digit numbers in context.
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