Celebrate "The Year Of Harriet Tubman" Starting This Weekend In Maryland

MARYLAND — Two hundred years ago this month, Araminta Ross, who would later become known as Harriet Tubman, was born into slavery in Dorchester County along Maryland's Eastern Shore. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of her birth, Gov. Larry Hogan has proclaimed 2022 "The Year of Harriet Tubman."

Numerous activities are being offered to celebrate Tubman who, after self-liberating when she was 27, became a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Maryland. She helped hundreds of other enslaved people flee the South to freedom, earning herself the name "The Moses of Her People."

Historians say Tubman also served the Union Army as a nurse during the Civil War, a spy and became the first woman to lead American troops into combat.

Although she could not read or write, Tubman eventually became a women's suffragist and bright light in the struggle for gender-equity.

To celebrate all that Tubman has done and what she means to Maryland, visit the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center in Church Creek. Since opening in 2017, the park has welcomed more than 300,000 guests from nearly 70 countries eager to learn about Tubman's life and legacy, and the importance of the Underground Railroad.

Just last year, an archaeology team led by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration conducted research that unearthed artifacts from the historic homesite once owned by Tubman's enslaved father, Ben Ross. It was discovered on marshy property acquired in 2020 as an addition to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County.

Some of the recovered artifacts once the property of the Ross family also will be on display.

“I want to encourage all Marylanders to take time this year to come here to visit Dorchester County, to travel the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway, to visit the countless immersive exhibits, which cover every period of Harriet Tubman’s life from slavery to freedom, or to come see the amazing artifacts from the Ben Ross cabin site, which was confirmed just last fall to have been the home of Harriet Tubman’s father,” Hogan said recently. “It is truly inspiring to think about how we can walk along the same path she did, where she forged her indelible legacy of freedom.”

There was a nationwide push during the Trump Administration to have Tubman's image placed on the front of $20 bills, replacing President Andrew Jackson. Jackson is remembered for his brutal treatment of Native Americans.

Making Tubman the face of the currency was supposed to happen in 2020. In January 2021, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Treasury Department was taking steps to put Tubman's image on the new $20 notes.

"It's important that our notes, our money ... reflect the history and diversity of our country. And Harriet Tubman's image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that," Psaki said. "So we're exploring ways to speed up that effort."

Harriet Tubman Women of Courage and Maryland Day Celebration

Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., Marylanders can learn about Tubman's achievements, strengths and importance to Maryland during a virtual celebration. Join the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture and Banneker-Douglass Museum as they present their Harriet Tubman Women of Courage and Maryland Day celebration.

The virtual program also will highlight the winners of the Harriet Tubman Women's History Month Women of Courage Video Contest and present the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman. Sign up here.

Travel the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway

The 125-mile-long byway allows insight into the life of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Order a free print copy or download the byway map and guide here, and follow this link to access the free and byway audio tour.

Visit the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center near Cambridge showcases exhibits and an audio tour. The center is located within the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and National Historical Park.

Find Maryland Events Commemorating Tubman 200

Across Maryland this year, a variety of events will bring people together to honor and highlight Tubman. Here is a compilation of those events.

Witness the Life of a Hero with Harriet Tubman Biography

Born enslaved, Tubman fought for her own freedom and justice. Learn more about her story with this Harriet Tubman biography and printable PDF.

Separate the Myths from the Facts of Harriet Tubman’s Incredible Life

This clear guide (and accompanying printable PDF) separates the facts and the fiction that have accumulated in the wake of Tubman’s incredible life.

Here are additional events lined up to honor Tubman:

• An exhibit of numerous artifacts from Tubman’s life — many in public for the first time — including the receipt from a midwife for Tubman’s birth, her “runaway” advertisement and items recovered from the site of her father, Ben Ross’ cabin. (March 1-31 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, Church Creek)
• “Birding on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway” Join Harriet Tubman Tours and Delmarva Birding Weekends for this guided, self-driven tour. Learn about the life and times of the famed freedom seeker and human rights activist and experience some of the best birding and bald eagle watching on America’s Eastern Seaboard.
• Not What You Think, an a cappella ensemble dedicated to social justice is joining the celebration of Tubman’s 200th birthday with a musical performance April 22 at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, Church Creek.
• “We Walk with Harriet History Walks” - Narrated history tours in Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties which include walking, sailing and horse and buggy rides Thursdays through Saturdays during the last weekend of every month April-October, led by the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center.
• “Beacon of Hope,” a new 12-foot bronze sculpture of Harriet Tubman, created by Wesley Wofford Sculpture Studio, will be dedicated at the Dorchester County Courthouse — a former site of slave auctions and a daring escape to freedom engineered by Tubman in the mid-1800s. The ceremony will happen during the annual Day of Resilience event on Sept 10.
• “Emancipation Celebration” During Maryland’s International Underground Railroad Month, celebrate Tubman’s decision to seek freedom with programs and activities throughout the day Sept. 18 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, Church Creek.
• "Lead On, Harriet!" Interactive history program for ages 9 and up. Take a ride on the Underground Railroad with the famous Maryland-born conductor at Chesapeake Children’s Museum, Annapolis.
• PBS will premiere “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom,” a documentary produced by Maryland Public Television, directed by Stanley Tucker and narrated by Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor Alfre Woodard.
• “Bike the UGRR: Harriet’s Journey Home” Join in a bicycling event inspired by Harriet Tubman and her journeys to freedom. Choose from a 25-mile or 43-mile ride along and around the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore Oct. 15.

SEE ALSO:

• Harriet Tubman's Childhood Home Remnants Found In MD
• Finding Harriet Tubman's Early Home Part Of MD Underground Series
• Here's A Sneak Peek At Newark's New Harriet Tubman Monument
• Placing Harriet Tubman On $20 Bill To Speed Up: Biden Officials
• Harriett Tubman $20 Bill Delayed While Trump Is President