Have you heard of Mariah Ritty Ross? She was the sister of the famous American abolitionist Harriet Tubman. But unlike her celebrated sibling, much of Mariah’s life remains a mystery. Let’s explore what we do know about this historical figure.
Mariah Ritty Ross was born in 1811 to parents Ben Ross and Harriet Greene, also known as Rit. She was one of several children, including her more well-known sister Harriet Tubman who was born Araminta Ross. The Ross family were enslaved by the Brodess family on their plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland.
As a child, Mariah likely worked alongside her family members, performing various tasks on the plantation. Life for enslaved people was full of hardship, with backbreaking labor, poor living conditions, and constant fear of punishment or family separation through sale. Sadly, this is exactly what happened to young Mariah.
Early Life and Family Background
Mariah Ritty Ross was born into slavery in 1811 on the Brodess plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her parents, Ben Ross and Harriet “Rit” Greene, were both enslaved by the Brodess family. Mariah was one of nine children born to Ben and Rit. Her siblings included her older sister Harriet Tubman, who was originally named Araminta and called “Minty” as a child. The other Ross children were Linah, Soph, Robert, Ben, Rachel, Henry, and Moses.
As an enslaved child, Mariah likely began working at a young age. Enslaved children were often put to work as soon as they were old enough, performing tasks like childcare, housework, and light labor in the fields. Education was forbidden for slaves, so Mariah probably did not learn to read or write.
Growing up, Mariah witnessed and experienced the many cruelties and injustices of slavery firsthand. Enslaved families lived in constant fear of being separated through sale. Punishment for disobedience was brutal. These harsh realities shaped Mariah’s early life.
Relationship to Harriet Tubman
Mariah Ritty Ross and Harriet Tubman were sisters, both born into slavery to Ben Ross and Harriet “Rit” Greene. Of the nine Ross siblings, Harriet Tubman is by far the most well-known today for her incredible work on the Underground Railroad.As children, Mariah and Harriet (then called “Minty”) likely worked and played together on the Brodess plantation. Although their exact relationship is unknown, as sisters they almost certainly shared a close bond, along with their other siblings.
However, the sisters’ lives took very different paths when Mariah was sold away as a young teenager in 1825. While Harriet Tubman eventually escaped slavery and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, heroically leading dozens of people to freedom, she was never able to rescue Mariah.
In fact, Harriet Tubman spent years trying to save her family members from slavery. She successfully helped her brothers Robert, Ben, and Henry escape. She also freed her elderly parents. But despite her valiant efforts, Tubman was unable to locate Mariah or her other sisters who had been cruelly separated from the family years before. The pain of losing her sisters remained with Tubman for the rest of her life.
The Ross Family and Enslavement
The Ross family’s story is one of resilience in the face of incredible adversity. Ben Ross and Harriet “Rit” Greene were both enslaved by the Brodess family and forced to work on their plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. Here they raised their nine children, including Mariah Ritty Ross and Harriet Tubman. Slavery was deeply entrenched in Maryland during this time. African Americans accounted for a third of the state’s population in the early 1800s, and most were enslaved. Enslaved families like the Rosses lived under constant threat and had no control over their own lives.
For example, when their master Edward Brodess died in 1849, Rit and her children were at risk of being sold to settle his debts. This was a terrifying prospect that would have torn the family apart. To prevent this, Ben Ross negotiated with a white lawyer to officially emancipate Rit and her minor children.
While this saved some of the Ross family from sale, others, including Mariah, had already been cruelly separated from them years before. The trauma and loss caused by slavery left deep scars. But the Rosses persevered and supported each other through incredible challenges.
Separation from Her Family
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of Mariah Ritty Ross’s story is her forced separation from her family. In 1825, when Mariah was just a young teenager, she was sold away to a plantation in the Deep South, along with her sisters Linah and Soph.Slave owners frequently sold enslaved people with no regard for family ties. Being sold was a devastating experience, as it meant never seeing loved ones again. For Mariah and her sisters, it also meant being sent far from home to an unknown fate.
The Ross family must have been distraught at this cruel separation. For parents Rit and Ben, having your children ripped away from you would have been unimaginably painful. The remaining siblings, including young Harriet Tubman, surely felt immense grief at the loss as well.
Heartbreakingly, once Mariah was sent to the Deep South, her family never saw her again. Even when Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and courageously rescued many others, including other family members, she was never able to find Mariah. The separation, like for so many enslaved families, was permanent.
The trauma of being torn from her family at such a young age undoubtedly had a profound impact on Mariah. While her ultimate fate is unknown, her story represents the immense cruelty of slavery and the strength of family bonds in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Mariah Ritty Ross and the Deep South Slave Trade
Mariah Ritty Ross was born into slavery in 1811 in Maryland. Her parents were Ben Ross and Harriet “Rit” Greene, who had several children, including Harriet Tubman.
In a cruel twist of fate, Mariah and two of her sisters, Linah and Soph, were torn from their family at a young age. In 1825, when Mariah was just a teenager, the three girls were sold to plantation owners in the Deep South.
This was a common horror for enslaved families – never knowing if or when a loved one might be sent away, often hundreds of miles from home, with no chance of ever reuniting. For the Ross family, losing three daughters in one fell swoop was devastating.
Impact of Her Sale on the Ross Family
The sale of Mariah and her sisters had a profound impact on their parents and siblings left behind in Maryland. Her mother Rit was especially distraught, having fought to keep the family together.Harriet Tubman, who was very close to her family, was determined to one day free them from bondage. She famously escaped slavery herself and helped dozens of others to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
However, with Mariah, Linah and Soph sent to the Deep South, they were far beyond Harriet’s reach. This separation haunted Harriet. Despite her valiant efforts, she was never able to rescue the sisters who had been cruelly taken from her so many years before.
Life After Separation
Very little is known about what happened to Mariah Ritty Ross after she was sold away from her family. She would have faced the harsh realities of life on a southern plantation – backbreaking labor, poor living conditions, and the constant threat of violence and assault.
Any chance of escaping would have been slim. In the Deep South, slaves were much more isolated and tightly controlled than in the border states Mariah had known as a child. Family separations were final, as loved ones had no way of finding each other across vast distances.
Mariah likely endured this hard existence for the rest of her life, toiling in obscurity hundreds of miles from everyone she had ever known and loved. Her story reflects the anguish of countless enslaved people whose lives and relationships were shattered.
Mariah Ritty Ross Death
Sadly, the details of Mariah Ritty Ross’s death are lost to history. She simply disappeared from the historical record after her sale. We can assume she died in slavery, never knowing freedom. Unlike Harriet, she was unable to escape the bonds of servitude that defined her life from birth.
Harriet Tubman made many dangerous trips back to Maryland to gradually bring her family to freedom. But despite her heroic efforts, she could never find and save Mariah. This was a painful void that stayed with Harriet.
Mariah Ritty Ross’s Legacy
While Mariah Ritty Ross’s life story is fragmented and tragic, it’s important that we remember her today. She represents so many African American women whose sufferings and sacrifices were never recorded.
Mariah’s life is a poignant reminder of slavery’s human toll. Behind every slave was an individual with hopes, fears, and loved ones. Slavery tore apart the lives and bonds that African Americans struggled to build under the most oppressive conditions.
The Ross family’s pain reflects that of the millions of enslaved people who had their most basic rights – to love, safety and family – stolen from them. In remembering Mariah, we honor all those voices that history overlooked. Her story is American history.
Conclusion
Mariah Ritty Ross may not be a household name like her famous sister Harriet Tubman, but her story is no less important. Born into slavery in Maryland in 1811, Mariah’s life was shaped by the cruelty and injustice of the institution.
As a young teenager, she faced the unimaginable trauma of being sold away from her family to a plantation in the Deep South. This forced separation was devastating for Mariah and her loved ones. Despite her sister Harriet Tubman’s heroic efforts to rescue family members from slavery, she was never able to locate Mariah.
While the details of Mariah’s life after this cruel separation are lost to history, her story represents the experiences of countless enslaved people whose lives were torn apart. It’s a tragic but powerful reminder of the human cost of slavery and the unbreakable bonds of family, even in the face of incredible adversity.
