Harriet Tubman has never known what it means to be free. Having been born and raised into slavery, she works hard and does as she is told. However, she longs to be free and hopes to escape to the "promise land." After hearing about an "underground railroad" and learning of a Quaker woman up the river who helps slaves "get on," Harriet tells her father she is escaping. He fears for he life and tells her there isn't really an underground railroad, but she is determined to go. Once at the Quaker woman's home, Harriet learns that the Underground Railroad is a route guided by "conductors" to the North. She goes forward and makes it to the main station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Once there, she is surprised to learn of the many different routes slaves are able to take to freedom. Hearing of her sister and family's proceeding sale, Harriet vows she will never be free until her family is free. Against the stationmaster's warnings, she heads South. Harriet continues to go back and forth from the North to the South and becomes known as the "Moses of her people" with a reward posted for her for $40,000. Harriet is able to successfully rescue her entire family, as well as 300 slaves on 17 dangerous missions to the Confederate South.

When Helen Keller was a young child, she contracted a high fever that left her sightless and unable to hear. Being the parents of a non-seeing and non-hearing child was a hardship on two loving parents who did all they could but seemed to do it in the wrong way. Out of desperation, they hired a young educator, Anne Sullivan, to teach and train the young Helen. Much to the parent's dismay, Sullivan was a strict and firm disciplinarian with the young, spoiled Keller girl. Sullivan and Helen Keller moved into a house not far down the lane from the main Keller house. There they began to develop a trust and relationship of love and respect for each other. This soon turned into an atmosphere that was ripe for learning without the interference of the Keller parents. Once Helen Keller began to put meaning with the finger spelling that she was doing, she began to learn many words at a rapid rate. Her world began to open and she was able to complete her education and continue advanced training at the university.

The time is 1296 in Turkey. Marco Polo, his father and his uncle have just returned after a twenty five-year journey of the East. They tell the Duke of Venice about the riches they have found. The Duke of Venice doubts the stories of riches from China. Not long after he returned a war broke out between the cities of Genoa and Venice. Marco went to fight in a war. He met a sailor named Rusticello. Rusticello was also a writer. Marco and his new friend are captured by the Duke and Duchess of Genoa. The Duchess was impressed with Marco Polo's stories and visits him in prison. Marco tells the Duchess about his adventures in China and Kublai Kahn. During this time, Rusticello continues to write about the adventures of Marco Polo. After spending years in prison, the war is over and Marco is released. Rustincello shows him the book he has written about his adventures. Marco doubts that anyone would believe him and asks Rusticello to share his stories. The Travels of Marco Polo became one of the most influential books of the Middle Ages.