Harriet Tubman

Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary: From Her Roots in Ghana to Her Legacy on the Eastern Shore

Published by Pegasus Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

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About The Book

A revolutionary portrait of Harriet Tubman—told with the voice of history and the authority of family.

Harriet Tubman is one of the most iconic figures in American history. Yet much of her true story has remained fragmented, misunderstood, or deliberately incomplete. While countless books recount her courage on the Underground Railroad, none have fully explored the breadth of her strategic brilliance, her documented role as a Union Army scout and spy, or the African ancestry that shaped her extraordinary character.

Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary sets out to correct the record — permanently.

Drawing on rare oral history passed through generations of the Tubman family — made possible through Rita Daniels, Tubman's great-great-great-grandniece — alongside deep archival research, Wiesen restores depth, truth, and humanity to a story that history has long fragmented for political convenience.

Inside, readers will discover:
  • How a childhood head injury silenced Tubman in early biographical interviews — and why the omissions persisted for over a century
  • The full scope of her ancestral roots in Ghana among the Ashanti people — the heritage that forged her strength
  • Her documented role as a Union Army scout, spy, and military strategist — arguably the most underrepresented chapter of her life
  • Her tireless postwar activism: as a suffragist, community organizer, and founder of the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged
  • A fully corrected biographical narrative, informed by family oral history and newly examined archival evidence

Praised by The New York Times Book Review as a biography that 'sheds light on Tubman's contributions to the Union Army and her later activism,' and by Kirkus Reviews for granting 'authoritative history and authentic humanity,' this is the definitive modern account of one of history's most consequential leaders.

Excerpt

Inside Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary, readers will discover:

New insights drawn from Tubman family oral history

Harriet Tubman’s strategic role as a Civil War scout and military leader

Clarifications and corrections to long-standing historical misconceptions

Exploration of her African ancestry and cultural roots

Her lifelong activism beyond emancipation, including suffrage and elder care

A fuller understanding of Tubman as visionary, organizer, and humanitarian

This biography expands the historical narrative while restoring depth, agency, and humanity to an American icon.

About The Authors

Jean Marie Wiesen is an investigative author and researcher whose work is defined by meticulous primary source methodology, rigorous historical reconstruction, and a commitment to recovering what previous accounts have missed.

Her most significant work, Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary, represents years of deep archival research into military records, Civil War documentation, and first-hand historical sources — producing the most complete and accurate biography of Harriet Tubman ever written. Working alongside Rita Daniels, whose Tubman family background provided access to generations of oral history, Wiesen developed a research framework that uncovered the full scope of Tubman's role as a Union Army scout, spy, and military strategist; traced her ancestral roots to Ghana among the Ashanti people; and corrected long-standing historical omissions that had persisted for over a century.

The book has drawn praise from The New York Times Book Review, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and members of the United States Senate.

Wiesen attended Art Center College of Design in Southern California, majoring in Still Photography and minoring in Creative Writing. She further developed her craft under the mentorship of British author Robert Pollock. She is also the author of Case of the Missing Look Alikes and Case of the Mouse Trap Legend.

Rita Daniels is the great-great-great-grandniece of Harriet Tubman and one of the primary stewards of her family's living oral history.  Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary is the first Tubman biography to draw on direct family memory since Harriet herself was interviewed in 1886.

The stories Rita Daniels brings to this work — passed through generations of the Tubman family — illuminate Harriet Tubman in ways the archival record alone cannot. Her contribution gave this biography access to a category of historical truth unavailable to any other researcher.

Rita Daniels is the President and Founder of the Harriet Tubman Learning Center (HTLC) in Powder Springs, Georgia, dedicated to the education of underserved children. She holds a Master's Degree in Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources (Cum Laude) from Trident University International.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Pegasus Books (February 4, 2025)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781639368143

Raves and Reviews

"Daniels, one of Tubman's descendants, imbues this corrective biography with humanity and family lore while shedding light on Tubman's contributions to the Union Army and her later activism in Auburn, N.Y."

The New York Times Book Review 

“An intriguing, compelling, ambitious and well-researched book that gives insight into a world most of us have not encountered. Daniels and Wiesen go to remarkable depths to tell Harriet Tubman’s true story. It resonated with me to such profound levels that it sometimes moved me to tears.”

Anni Domingo, author of Breaking the Maafa Chain

“In a world sorely lacking for genuine heroes, Harriet Tubman stands out. This book illuminates the origins and personal adversities suffered by Harriet Tubman, bringing her to life for the first time. We are inspired by Harriet’s character and courage. My thanks and appreciation to Rita Daniels and Jean Marie Wiesen for making this contribution to American history.”

Lisa Wexler, Radio Host, The Voice of Connecticut, WICC 95.9

“The retelling of Harriet Tubman’s life put forward by Jean Marie Wiesen and Rita Daniels blends the familiar story of an American hero with generations of oral history to create a vivid historical account. The question Daniels poses regarding her ancestor—what are we doing to continue Tubman’s legacy?—is one I think all Americans would do well to reflect upon. If you are looking for direction in how you should further Tubman’s lifework, this book is a good place to start.”

Jim Himes, U.S. House of Reprsentatitves, Connecticut, 4th District

"I had the distinct pleasure of personally meeting Rita Daniels, the great, great-great grandniece of Harriet Tubman. I listened intently while she elaborated on oral history passed down through the generations, telling the rich story of one of America’s most beloved iconic figures. At last, she and Jean Marie Wiesen have put these stories on paper, filling in numerous gaps and correcting many longstanding errors from previous biographies. This book should be read by every American to fully appreciate the remarkable legacy of Harriet Tubman."

Richard Blumenthal, United States Senator, State of Connecticut

“As the first African American Selectman of Weston, it was with great pride that the keynote speaker on Junteenth was Rita Daniels. Jean Marie Wiesen’s extensive research, coupled with Rita’s riveting testimonies, give a different perspective and deeper insight into my hero, the fierce Harriet Tubman.”

Martin Mohabeer, Former Selectman, Town of Weston

"A comprehensive overview of Tubman’s life and work, co-authored by one of her descendants. As the United States moved into Civil War, Tubman was a spy, scout, and nurse in the Union Army, using her navigational skills and photographic memory to lead raids and advances. In spite of remaining illiterate throughout her life, Tubman spent more than 50 years after the war in Auburn, New York, supporting her family by fighting for equal voting rights, employment, and dignity for formerly enslaved people, culminating in her creation of the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. Wih Daniels—Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece—as co-author, familiar aspects of Tubman’s story are accentuated and expanded with what she has gleaned from family lore. Character traits and sensibilities, like Tubman’s famed curative skills as an herbalist, are placed within a powerful context, linked not only to an abridged American narrative, but also to a family’s African roots and her descendants’ ongoing work. Having had a front-row seat to the many ways Tubman has been studied, dissected, and honored both in the United States and beyond, Daniels grants both authoritative history and authentic humanity to a story frequently segmented for political expediency or specialized study, leaving readers with a fuller understanding of Tubman's unique bravery, fortitude, and leadership."

Kirkus Reviews

“At Weston’s inaugural Juneteenth celebration, the vibrant atmosphere created a sense of unity and it became clear that this celebration was more than just a commemoration; it was a catalyst for dialogue about history and progress and fostered a deeper understanding of the significance of freedom and equality.”

Samantha Nestor, First Selectwoman, Town of Weston

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