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Into History.

com. It's October 1838.

It's October 1838 in Missouri.

A steamboat chugged north up the Mississippi River.

And in a secluded corner below deck, a young enslaved woman is in the final throes of labor. a to the upturned crates serving as her bed and tries to concentrate on her breathing.

A group of older women huddle around Harriet's bedside, dabbing her forehead with wet rags and offering words of encouragement over the roar of the boat's furnace.

Somebody whispers in Harriet's ear, not far now.

The words don't bring Harriet any relief.

For the last few days, Harriet has been trying desperately to delay giving birth.

She doesn't want her first child to be born here in Missouri, a state where slavery is legal.

It is much easier for the children of slaves to acquire their freedom if they are born and registered in free states.

And Harriet wants to wait until they reach the Iowa Territory, where slavery is prohibited before introducing her child to the world.

But with each second that passes, the pain is becoming increasingly difficult to bear.

Still, just when Harriet is beginning to think she can't delay any longer,

Harriet's husband rushes to her side.

38-year-old Dread Scott kneels down and takes his wife's hand as he delivers the news she's

been waiting for.

The boat has just entered the Iowa territory.

Fludded with relief, Harriet takes a deep breath and gives in to the natural rhythms of giving birth.

...