Harriet Tubman: Survivalist, Guide, and Spy | Pulitzer Prize Winner Dr. Edda Fields-Black | Ep. 020

Let's get something out of the way: your social studies teacher sucked and Harriet Tubman was way cooler than whatever you learned in 5th grade.

Dr. Edda Fields-Black, recent recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for her book, Combee, joins us in the studio to talk about the adventures of Tubman, who was not only a spy and underground railroad conductor, but also one of the most badass backcountry guides who ever lived.

From pulling guns on freedomseekers having second thoughts about their escape, to her role as a spy and leader in the Combahee River Raid during the Civil War, we dive into all the cool shit your teacher didn't tell you. In this episode, we talk about: 

• How Harriet Tubman smuggled folks to freedom
• Navigating the backwoods of Maryland by starlight 
• Environmental hazards of the underground railroad 
• Harriet Tubman's spy missions for the Union Army
• How to retro-fit a passenger vessel into a gun boat
• The Combahee river raid
• Dr. Fields-Black's 2025 Pulitzer Prize winning book, Combee

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Edda Fields-Black's Pulitzer Prize winning book "Combee"

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“Welcome to the Backcountry” theme song by Logan Roth, Will Brown, Arjun Dube and produced at Treacle Mine Studios, Phila, PA Copyright Outdoor Visions Media LLC, 2025

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