Read the excerpt from “Harriet Tubman: A Life of Toil and Triumph.” By this time, the word of Harriet Tubman’s bravery was beginning to spread. Many well-known people learned of her mission and got on board as well. Writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott helped her, as did Susan B. Anthony. Some even allowed her to use their homes as stations. Meanwhile, Harriet’s fame also made her a target, and a large reward was offered for her capture and return to Maryland.

The beginning of the Civil War in 1861 marked the end of Harriet’s Railroad work, but she did not retire. Instead, she joined the fight that would soon set all of her people free. At the request of Union leaders, she set out for South Carolina. There she nursed slaves who had been left behind when their owners fled Northern forces.

Why was a reward offered for Tubman’s capture?