The Night Flyer Liberates Her People

Harriet Tubman was sustained by vivid dreams and fierce spiritual faith as she risked everything—again and again—to guide enslaved people to freedom. In this episode of Constant Wonder, Harvard historian Tiya Miles explains to co-host Tennery Taylor how Tubman's intense spirituality and her connection to the natural world empowered her and shaped her into a compelling leader. As a child, Tubman worked in swamps and timber yards, enduring grueling labor that also prepared her to flee to the North in 1849. But her own freedom was only the beginning: for the rest of her life, she dedicated herself to helping her family and friends escape slavery as well. Guest: Tiya Miles, author of "Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People" Chapters: (0:00) Introduction (5:15) A childhood spent outdoors (12:54) The night the stars fell (16:41) Harriet Tubman's prayers and faith (30:27) Working in a timber yard (34:50) Escaping to the North (44:35) Walking across the Ohio River (51:27) Freeing her brothers (1:03:08) Applying dreams