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There was one or two things I had a right to,
liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would
have the other; for no man should take me alive. . . .

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Discussion Topics
"There was one or two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other; for no man should take me alive."

• Harriet Tubman truly believed that death was better than slavery. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
  
  
• Tubman believed that people had a right to freedom. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
  
  
• People risk their lives for various reasons. Soldiers risk their lives to defend their countries. Parents sometimes risk their lives to protect their children. Firefighters and police officers risk their lives to protect their communities. Tubman risked her life first to secure her own freedom, then to help others to freedom. She pledged that she would die before she returned to slavery. What do you feel most strongly about? Have you ever cared enough about someone or something that you would be willing to die for it? If so, what?
  
  

Tubman was seriously injured by an angry overseer or master when she was a teenager. How do you think this incident might have affected her attitude toward slavery?

• Do you think some slaves were treated better than Tubman? Explain your answer.
  
  
• Do you think Tubman would have hated slavery just as much if she had had a kind master? Why or why not?
  
  
• Do you think Tubman would have risked her life to free others from slavery if she had not experienced abuse at the hands of a cruel master?

In Tubman's day, slavery was common not only in the United States, but throughout the world. In fact, slavery was an acceptable practice from ancient times on. How do you feel about slavery?

• Is slavery ever acceptable? Why or why not?
  
  
• Were slaves justified in trying to escape? Why or why not?
  
  
• Why do you think slavery was an accepted part of life for so many centuries?
  
  
• What countries still allow slavery today?
  
  
• Modern society has largely rejected slavery. Yet most people will still purchase clothing and other products made by workers who labor it sweat shop enviornments. How is this like slavery? How does it differ? Is it right or wrong? Defend your answer.