Mark Harriett Tubman's Emancipation Day At Underground Railroad Center

MARYLAND — Events are planned this month to celebrate Harriet Tubman's Emancipation Day, when one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad sought freedom in Pennsylvania.

“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven,” Tubman said in 1868 of her journey 19 years earlier from Maryland to the North.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center will hold programs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 and Sept. 30.

Sept. 17 Schedule:
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Traditional Children's Games. Go back in time and play games that have been around for centuries, such as marbles, jacks, jump rope, horse shoes, mancala, and potato sack races.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Original Team Tubman Park Quest. Get to know real stationmasters and agents on the Underground Railroad with this family-friendly activity. This scavenger hunt will take you on a journey around our property, so bring your sneakers!
10:30 a.m.: Birds of Tubman Country. Let’s go birding! Join Ranger Lawson on a fun-filled outing in the park’s Legacy Garden. Make sure to bring your binoculars! Please meet at the north deck of the Visitor Center.
1 p.m.: Meet Harriet Tubman. Enjoy a memorable interpretation of Harriet Tubman. Hear Tubman’s story through a reenactment by the Official Griot for the State of Maryland, Janice Curtis Greene, and experience a historical journey that you will never forget. Please meet in our theater.
2:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.: Not What You Think. This musical program will express the journey for equality, freedom, and peace exemplified by the life of Harriet Tubman. Not What You Think is an a cappella ensemble dedicated to social justice.

Saturday, September 30: Viewing of "Harriet"
7 p.m. at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park Legacy Garden

• Related: Artifacts Found At Harriet Tubman Site Link To Africa, Enslaved People

Join us after hours for an outside screening of the award-winning film "Harriet." Bring a blanket or a chair, as well as your own food or drink (alcohol is prohibited). Bug spray is encouraged.
This event is contingent upon weather conditions. Rain date is Oct. 7.

Unless otherwise noted, events are held rain or shine, free and fun for all ages; donations are always welcome. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Dress for the weather/activity, wear sunscreen and insect repellent, bring plenty of water and snacks, and check for ticks.

Call 410-221-2290 for information or to register.

Life, Legacy Of Harriet Tubman

Tubman was born into slavery, Araminta Ross, in March 1822 on the Thompson Farm near Cambridge in Dorchester County, Maryland. She used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom in the North in 1849, then used it to help others gain their freedom. She also actively spied against the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Tubman overcame abuse, war, chronic illness and extreme injustice to make her mark on American history as a suffragette, an abolitionist and a Civil War veteran.

The discovery of a home where enslaved people lived on the Thompson Farm, the Eastern Shore birthplace of famed abolitionist and Underground Railroad leader, Harriet Tubman, was announced in February. The structure is believed to be that of an enslaved overseer, possibly Jerry Manokey.

At the site, researchers found artifacts that link bygone residents to Africa, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.

Maryland Department of Transportation Chief Archaeologist Dr. Julie Schablitsky and her team have been searching for the homes of those enslaved on the Thompson Farm for more than two years. At one time, more than 40 enslaved people lived there.

Beneath layers of soil, archaeologists uncovered a substantial brick building foundation of the home. The excavation also revealed hundreds of artifacts, including a West African spirit cache. The cache, found during excavations last year, included a glass heart-shaped perfume bottle stopper, a white ceramic dish, and a copper alloy button. Enslaved people are believed to have placed the cache in front of the home’s fireplace to protect the occupants from negative spirits, a news release from the governor's office said.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek,in Dorchester County, preserves the legacy of the abolition leader.

In April 2021 experts announced the discovery of the cabin site of Ben Ross, Tubman’s father. Schablitsky said the abolitionist would have spent time there as a child.

And "she would've come back and been living here with her father in her teenage years, working alongside him. This was the opportunity she had to learn about how to navigate and survive in the wetlands and the woods. We believe this experience was able to benefit her when she began to move people to freedom," she said.

Preserving Tubman's Legacy, Early Years

Sharing and telling the story of Harriet Tubman has been a multi-year partnership between local, state and federal agencies. The partnerships have led to international recognition of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and the Eastern Shore as must-see destinations.

“This discovery is further validation of why Maryland is ‘The Most Powerful Underground Railroad Storytelling Destination in the World,’ a distinction that builds on the remarkable history of our state,” said Maryland Commerce Acting Secretary Kevin A. Anderson. “Through her powerful legacy, Tubman inspires thousands to visit Maryland each year to learn more about her life here.”

Since opening in 2017, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center has welcomed 350,000 guests from all 50 states and more than 60 countries and territories, averaging about 70,000 visitors annually.

$20 Bill Debate

After a four-year delay by the Trump administration, efforts to put Tubman on the $20 bill have resurfaced as President Joe Biden's appointees head federal agencies.

The move to replace President Andrew Jackson on the front of $20 bills with onetime slave Tubman in 2020 was put on hold while Donald Trump was in office.