7 03, 2025

Harriet Tubman Day Celebration is March 8, 2025

2025-03-07T09:27:08-05:00

Head to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 10am to 4pm for a day filled with educational programming on the topics of archaeology, architecture, music, nature, and more. Learn how all of these topics relate to Harriet Tubman.

Full Harriet Tubman Day Schedule:

10 a.m.: Archaeology of Harriet Tubman’s Birthplace – Learn about the research and methods that Maryland Department of Transportation archaeologists used to find the buried remains of Harriet Tubman’s father’s home and other enslaved communities with Chief Archaeologist, Julie Schablitsky. There will also be a discussion on the artifacts found and what they tell us about slavery and 19th century life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

11 a.m.: The View North with HTUR VC Architect Chris Elcock – Come learn why the Visitor Center looks the way it does and discover some of the hidden meanings embedded within the facility and the surrounding landscape of the park. A talk will be given by Chris Elcock AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, Principal of GWWO Architects.

Noon: More Than Just Statistics…Rebuilding Black Families After Slavery with Experts, Chris Haley and Maya Davis – Haley will explore the complexity of connecting formerly-enslaved families after emancipation, who are listed in the Dorchester County, Maryland Slave Statistics to the 1870 Census. Davis will close the discussion by highlighting a case study of the Plummer Family, formerly enslaved in Prince George’s County.

1 p.m.: Music: Freedom of the Soul – Join Ranger Robin in an exploration into the surprising African roots of our modern music including pop, rock, and country. Join us as we learn the hidden history of American music and how our most iconic instrument, the banjo, wouldn’t exist without the artistry of the African diaspora.

2 p.m.: Rooted Wisdom podcast…Exploring Tubman Country – Visiting sites both well-known and overlooked, the Rooted Wisdom podcast reveals the people and places that shaped the Underground Railroad and considers how their stories continue to shape our lives today.

Traditional children’s games and crafts available all day!

Events are free; donations are welcome. The Tubman Visitor Center, Stop #14 on the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, is located at 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD; 410-221-2290.

 

Harriet Tubman Day Celebration is March 8, 20252025-03-07T09:27:08-05:00
28 02, 2025

It’s Harriet Tubman Month – here’s how to honor her this March

2025-02-28T16:53:44-05:00

Posted Feb. 28, 2025

How is that we are still talking about a woman who was born into slavery more than 200 years ago, lived with a disability from a traumatic brain injury, and never had the opportunity as a child to learn to read or write? It’s because the woman was Harriet Tubman. She led a remarkable life of strength in the midst of suffering, courage in the midst of life-threatening situations, and selflessness in a cruel world.

Harriet Tubman funeral

Harriet Tubman’s funeral in 1913 in Auburn, New York

Harriet was born here in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Around here, we consider March to be Harriet Tubman Month – it was in this month that she was born (March 22, 1822) and she died at age 93 (March 10, 1913). Two hundred years after her birth, she continues to gain attention around the country. Last year, Tubman was posthumously named a brigadier general for her work during the Civil War, the U.S. Mint released commemorative Tubman coins, the U.S. Postal Service included her on a new set of postage stamps, and Maryland’s Black history museum was renamed to include “Tubman” in the name.

Her life is much more than you might remember from school. After escaping to freedom on her own in 1849, she risked her life time and again to return to these lands to lead family members, friends, and strangers out of slavery along the Underground Railroad – to a chance for a new life. She was also a spy, scout, and nurse in the Civil War. She was a suffragist fighting for women’s right to vote. She became a sought-after speaker. She was a humanitarian who opened a home for aged and ailing African Americans right on her own property.

One of the best ways to learn more about her life and the lives of other freedom seekers is to take the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

The byway is a meaningful road trip to do as a family, as a way to educate children about the courage and bravery of men and women escaping slavery, or with friends to appreciate the tenacity of Tubman and be inspired by her commitment to helping others.

So take a few moments, a day, or a weekend to learn more…. Here are a few ways:

Take the Harriet Tubman Road Trip

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway

Harriet Tubman Travel Package on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where she was bornThis road trip begins in Dorchester County where she was born, then wanders 125 miles through the Eastern Shore, and up through Delaware to Philadelphia, where she found freedom. More than 45 sites help share the stories. Explore one site, a few, or all of them. Can’t-miss sites include the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center (a great introduction to her life), Bucktown General Store (site of her first act of defiance), the former site of slave auctions that now is home to a remarkable sculpture of Harriet Tubman, and the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center (home of the powerful “Take My Hand” mural). Plan your trip on the Tubman Byway website and be sure to download the byway map and guide, and excellent audio guide.

See how WBAL-TV of Baltimore experienced the Tubman Byway last month. Watch the segment.

 

Experience Meaningful Events & Tours

Harriet Tubman Day Celebration: March 8

March 8, 10am-4pm
Tubman Visitor CenterVisit the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland (Stop #14 on the byway) on Saturday, March 8 to celebrate Harriet Tubman Day! The day will be filled with educational programming on the topics of archeological artifacts, architecture, music, nature, and more. Learn how all of these topics relate to Harriet Tubman. Traditional children’s games and crafts will be available all day.

Bus Tours

Harriet Tubman Tours, based in Dorchester County, Maryland, offers interactive tours of “Tubman Country” with a special dining option (including crab feast in season) for large groups. Reserve here.

Walking Tours

The Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center (Stop #6 on the byway) offers three guided walking tours:

  • Historic Downtown Cambridge, home to several stops along the Tubman Byway.
  • Walk from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to Brodess Plantation (where Tubman was enslaved as a child) and experience Harriet’s presence.
  • Walk along the countryside, tracing the routes of the Underground Railroad. Follow in the footsteps of Harriet Tubman and other freedom seekers.

Reserve here.

Birding the Harriet Tubman Byway

2025 dates to be announced soon
Combine birding with history during a Birding the Byway tour, hosted by Delmarva Birding Weekends and Harriet Tubman Tours. During her formative years on the Brodess Farm and as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, Tubman would have been intimately familiar with the birds and wildlife of Dorchester County. She used the call of a Barred Owl to alert freedom seekers that it was safe to come out of hiding and continue northward. The same birds that Tubman would have known more than 170 years ago still inhabit the fields, forests and marshes of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Find out more.

 

‘Take My Hand’ Mural of Harriet Tubman by Michael Rosato – Photo courtesy Maryland Tourism

Explore Harriet Tubman in public art and more

Photography was invented the same year that Harriet Tubman was born – 1822. But back then, cameras were rare and very expensive, and photography was mostly limited to those with sufficient funds to afford it. Thus, we know of only a handful of photos of Tubman – and the earliest of those was taken when she was in her 40s. (See two recently rediscovered photos.) But artists through the years have created likenesses of Tubman in many ways. In Dorchester County, Maryland – the place where she was born and toiled in slavery for more than 25 years – there are several public art pieces that pay homage to her bravery and selflessness. Here are a few:

  • “Beacon of Hope” – Harriet Tubman sculpture by Wesley Wofford is full of symbolic meaning. Located at the Dorchester County Courthouse (Stop #3 on the byway and once the site of slave auctions), 206 High Street, Cambridge, MD.
  • “Take My Hand” mural by Michael Rosato – at the Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center (Stop #6 on the byway), 424 Race St., Cambridge, MD. The museum is also home to the new interior mural, “Minty’s Act of Courage” by Michael Rosato. And features various portraits created by artists.
  • Harriet Tubman Mural by Charles Ross (one of Tubman’s relatives who lives locally) at the Tubman Memorial Garden (Stop #2 on the byway), U.S. Route 50 at Washington Street, Cambridge, MD
  • African American Heritage Mural by Michael Rosato – Includes Tubman and highlights of life in the past along Pine Street, one of the oldest African-American communities in the country, dating back to the mid-1800s. Near the corner of Maryland Avenue and Route 50 in Cambridge, MD
  • Dorchester County Women’s Mural – Tubman is featured along with 11 other prominent local women from past and present. 418 Poplar St., Cambridge, MD. By the way, this is a particularly good stop, considering March is also Women’s History Month!
  • Minty’s Place – This restaurant borrows Harriet Tubman’s childhood name, Minty. On the exterior side of the restaurant, there’s a mural by Michael Rosato that includes her final words before she passed: “I go to prepare a place for you….” 824 Locust St., Cambridge, MD. (Check the restaurant’s social media to see if they’re open before stopping in for a meal.)

Learn more without leaving your home

Maryland Public Television: Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Watch a Maryland Public Television one-hour documentary, which first aired in 2024, that sheds light on the lives of enslaved Marylanders, including a young Harriet Tubman. “Ben’s Ten” follows a Maryland team of archaeologists and historians as they discover remnants of a home believed to belong to Ben Ross, the father of Harriet Tubman. Read more about the documentary,
and watch it here.

Soldier of Freedom

This 16-minute film is what’s shown at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center (Stop #14 on the byway). Filmed on location on the Eastern Shore, the film briefly shares the dramatic, difficult story of Tubman’s life as an enslaved child and adult, her pursuit of freedom on the Underground Railroad, and her determination to end slavery and bring liberty and justice to others. The short film is a deeply moving introduction to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center exhibits and programs, highlighting all the things that were most meaningful and important to Tubman – Family, Freedom, Faith, and Community.

Watch it here. 

It’s Harriet Tubman Month – here’s how to honor her this March2025-02-28T16:53:44-05:00
13 11, 2024

Harriet Tubman posthumously honored as brigadier general

2024-11-13T09:35:20-05:00

Posted Nov. 13, 2024

On Veterans Day, Harriet Tubman was posthumously commissioned as a brigadier general by the Maryland National Guard. Tubman was the first woman in the U.S. to lead an armed military operation during a war. The Recognition and Commissioning Ceremony took place at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD (Stop #14 on the Tubman Byway). Gathered for the private ceremony were Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Maryland National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, Tubman’s descendants, military members, community members, and local leaders. (Photo above shows Gov. Moore, Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece Tina Wyatt, and Maryland National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead; photo courtesy Executive Office of the Governor.)

During the Civil War, Tubman was a spy, scout, nurse and cook. But she never had official status within the military, and she battled for decades to receive a military pension. Now, more than a century after her death, she was named a one-star general. Interestingly, abolitionist John Brown called Harriet Tubman “General Tubman” after meeting her in 1858 – three years before her Civil War work began.

During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Birckhead said, “Harriet Tubman should be revered always for risking her life and her own freedom and the cause of justice for the enslaved. Now we make the grassroots honor, in a formal way, to proclaim that Harriet Tubman was courageous, she sacrificed, she’s a skillful leader and she advanced the survival of a nation.”

The commissioning ceremony made headlines around the country. Read more in this story by USA Today.

See more photos of the ceremony from the Executive Office of the Governor.

Harriet Tubman posthumously honored as brigadier general2024-11-13T09:35:20-05:00
4 09, 2024

Sept. 13-14 events mark Underground Railroad Month in Maryland

2024-09-06T09:43:52-04:00

 

September is International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland, honoring the brave men, women, and children who fought for freedom. It’s the month when Harriet Tubman (born here in Dorchester County, Maryland) made her first attempt to escape slavery (Sept. 17) and when abolitionist Frederick Douglass self-liberated himself in Baltimore (Sept. 3).

To mark the month, join in one of the special events happening along the Tubman Byway, or explore the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on your own. You can also see events happening in other parts of the state.

Footsteps to Freedom: Sept. 13-14, 2024

Reserve your spot for “Footsteps to Freedom: The Historic Link Between Sacrifice, Triumph, and the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement” Sept. 13 and 14. This event also pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the annual Harriet Tubman Emancipation Day. Join in for reflection, education, and inspiration with highlights including “Steal Away” (a puppet/live actor production), seed work artists from the Caribbean islands, workshops to make a Harriet Tubman Emancipation Doll, ranger programs, children’s discovery zone, workshops, performances, and conversations. RSVP for the event.

Underground Railroad Walking Tours

There will be Underground Railroad guided walking tours led by the Harriet Tubman Museum at 10am both Sept 13 and 14. These two-mile, guided walks start at the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD (meet at 9:45am), and explore Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where history and nature meet. Free, but register for the walks in advance. Donations are welcome. Sponsored by the National Park Service and Maryland Park Service, this event offers a perfect blend of education, inspiration, and community spirit.

Road trip: Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway

Another way to mark International Underground Railroad Month is to take the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. This self-guided, scenic driving tour includes more than 30 sites, including the well-known “Take My Hand” mural and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. Enrich your experience with the free audio guide.

Stanley Institute & Christ Rock Church Community Day

Stanley Institute, once a one-room schoolhouse that educated Black children, is Stop #7 along the Harriet Tubman Byway. The area was also the site of two successful escapes by 44 enslaved people. All who attended Christ Rock School, Stanley Institute, or Rock Academy and Christ Rock United Methodist Church are invited to come together as a community from 2 to 4pm Sept. 14 to learn how the community got the name “Christ Rock” and the role the community plays in the history of the Underground Railroad. Meet at Fellowship Hall, 2403 Rock Dr., Cambridge, MD. Organized by the Friends of Stanley Institute.

 

 

 

Sept. 13-14 events mark Underground Railroad Month in Maryland2024-09-06T09:43:52-04:00
2 03, 2024

Harriet Tubman Day

2024-09-04T11:23:29-04:00

Updated March 1, 2024

Harriet Tubman Funeral | Visit Dorchester

Harriet Tubman’s funeral in 1913 in Auburn, New York.

Celebrate Harriet Tubman in the land where she was born this March. Harriet Tubman Day is officially observed in the United States on March 10 to commemorate the anniversary of her passing on that day in 1913. Since she was also born in March in 1822 here in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, we consider March to be Harriet Tubman Month. Below are a few ideas on how to mark the month along the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

Also, you can read more about her passing – and the four-act affair that was her funeral, drawing some 1,000 people – in this story from Secrets of the Eastern Shore.

Harriet Tubman continues to gain attention around the country. The U.S. Mint released commemorative Tubman coins (available only in 2024). The U.S. Postal Service included her on a new set of postage stamps. And media outlets from NASA’s Earth Observatory publication to Bay to Bay News (with a four-part series) to Biography have recently shared stories of her remarkable life.

So take a few moments, a day, or a weekend to learn more….

 

Take the Harriet Tubman Road Trip

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway

Harriet TubmanExperience stories of hope and redemption along the scenic road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, which includes sites related to Tubman and other freedom seekers in the 1800s. The byway begins in Dorchester County, Maryland (birthplace of Tubman), and winds its way to Philadelphia. It encompasses 45 sites, including the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center and the Harriet Tubman Museum. Download the online map and guide – and don’t miss the free audio guide app, with virtual and augmented reality features at some of the sites. Learn more

 

Harriet Tubman Month Events 2024

The Free Black Chesapeake Project

March 2, 2024
Join teaching artist ChelseaDee for an art and history workshop and public art-making session. Through poetry and collage, reflect on and celebrate local free Black communities ad how they inspired Harriet Tubman and promoted freedom in pre-Civil War Maryland and beyond. For ages 15 to 75+. The day includes, from 11am-1pm: Art & History Workshop (space is limited); and 1-3pm: Public Art-Making. At the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD. RSVP online or by email at freeblackchesapeake@gmail.com.

 

 

USPS commemorative Underground Railroad stamps - 2024

USPS commemorative Underground Railroad stamps – 2024

Harriet Tubman Day at the Tubman Visitor Center

March 9

Millicent Sparks as Harriet Tubman | Visit DorchesterThe Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD hosts its annual Harriet Tubman Day Celebration with a special twist this year. The day includes a special First Day of Issue Dedication Ceremony for the Underground Railroad Commemorative Forever Stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service! Stamps go on sale at 10am and the program begins at 11am. The stamps feature Harriet Tubman and nine other heroes who escaped slavery and/or helped others escape. The stamp event – in partnership with the USPS and the National Park Service – is a tented outdoor event that is free and open to the public at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. RSVP here. Tubman Day festivities also include well-known Tubman re-enactor Millicent Sparks at 1pm, Tubman biographer Dr. Kate Clifford Larson at 2pm, and a National Park Service program at 3pm on “Setting the Foundation for Success: How the National Park Service Applies Harriet Tubman’s Story to the Chesapeake Bay Region.”

 

Film Screening: Eroding History

March 9, 6:30pm
This film is being shown in honor of Harriet Tubman Day. Produced by the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative, the film is “a climate justice story at the intersection of sea level rise, historic racism, and disappearing Black communities.” At the Dorchester Center for the Arts in Cambridge, MD. Doors open at 6pm. Panel discussion to follow. Watch the trailer. Tickets $10. Buy tickets.

Birding the Harriet Tubman Byway | Visit Dorchester

Birding the Tubman Byway.

Birding the Harriet Tubman Byway

March 29, April 25
Combine birding with history during a Birding the Byway tour, hosted by Delmarva Birding Weekends and Harriet Tubman Tours. During her formative years on the Brodess Farm and as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, Tubman would have been intimately familiar with the birds and wildlife of Dorchester County. She used the call of a Barred Owl to alert freedom seekers that it was safe to come out of hiding and continue northward. The same birds that Tubman would have known more than 170 years ago still inhabit the fields, forests and marshes of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. More info

 

Beacon of Hope statue | Visit Dorchester

“Beacon of Hope” sculpture by Wesley Wofford. At the Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge, MD.

Explore Harriet Tubman in public art and more

Photography was invented the same year that Harriet Tubman was born – 1822. But back then, cameras were rare and very expensive, and photography was mostly limited to those with sufficient funds to afford it. Thus, we know of only a handful of photos of Tubman – and the earliest of those was taken when she was in her 40s. (See two recently rediscovered photos.) But artists through the years have created likenesses of Tubman in many ways. In Dorchester County, Maryland – the place where she was born and toiled in slavery for more than 25 years – there are several public art pieces that pay homage to her bravery and selflessness. Here are a few:

  • “Beacon of Hope” – Harriet Tubman sculpture by Wesley Wofford is full of symbolic meaning. Located at the Dorchester County Courthouse (once the site of slave auctions), 206 High Street, Cambridge, MD
  • “Take My Hand” mural by Michael Rosato – at the Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center, 424 Race St., Cambridge, MD. The museum is also home to the new interior mural, “Minty’s Act of Courage” by Michael Rosato. And features various portraits created by artists.
  • Harriet Tubman Mural by Charles Ross (one of Tubman’s relatives who lives locally) at the Tubman Memorial Garden, U.S. Route 50 at Washington Street, Cambridge, MD
  • African American Heritage mural by Michael Rosato – Includes Tubman and highlights of life in the past along Pine Street, one of the oldest African-American communities in the country, dating back to the mid-1800s. Near the corner of Maryland Avenue and Route 50 in Cambridge, MD
  • Dorchester County Women’s Mural – Tubman is featured along with 11 other prominent local women from past and present. 418 Poplar St., Cambridge, MD. By the way, it seems fitting that March is also Women’s History Month!
  • Minty’s Place – This restaurant borrows Harriet Tubman’s childhood name, Minty. On the exterior side of the restaurant, there’s a mural by Michael Rosato that includes her final words before she passed: “I go to prepare a place for you….” 824 Locust St., Cambridge, MD. (Check the restaurant’s social media to see if they’re open before stopping in for a meal.)

 

Ben's Ten- MPT Documentary - Feb2024

Maryland Public Television: Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Watch a new Maryland Public Television one-hour documentary that sheds light on the lives of enslaved Marylanders, including a young Harriet Tubman. “Ben’s Ten” follows a Maryland team of archaeologists and historians as they discover remnants of a home believed to belong to Ben Ross, the father of Harriet Tubman. Read more about the documentary.
and watch it here.

 

Harriet Tubman Day2024-09-04T11:23:29-04:00
2 03, 2024

UGRR stamps to be dedicated at Harriet Tubman Day March 9

2024-03-02T09:14:19-05:00
Join in the Harriet Tubman Day celebration on March 9, 2024 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD. The highlight will be the official, national dedication of the new U.S. Postal Service stamps that feature Tubman and nine other Underground Railroad heroes! Plus a presentation by well-known Tubman re-enactor Millicent Sparks at 1pm; a talk by Kate Clifford Larsen, author of “Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero,” at 1pm; and an National Park Service presentation at 3pm
>> If you’re interested in the stamp dedication, it’s at 11am (stamps go on sale at 10am). RSVP here.
>> Make a weekend of it by exploring the road trip known as the Tubman Byway here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Plan your trip at HarrietTubmanByway.org.
>> And for more ideas of how to mark Harriet Tubman Month, see this roundup.
UGRR stamps to be dedicated at Harriet Tubman Day March 92024-03-02T09:14:19-05:00
6 02, 2024

Celebrate Black History Month in Harriet Tubman Country on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

2024-02-06T18:45:55-05:00

The area along the Harriet Tubman Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is filled with Black history and culture – from Harriet Tubman to civil rights. That means there is lots to explore for Black History Month – and every other month of the year, too, especially in Dorchester County, Maryland – birthplace of Harriet Tubman. Check out an amazing new mural at the Harriet Tubman Museum, take the kids to special programming at the Tubman Visitor Center, listen to interesting talks (African American genealogy, African Americans in the Civil War), sign up for a paint party where you can create a likeness of a famous Black artist, go to an art exhibit celebrating Black achievement, take in some songs of freedom, and more. See the Black History Month roundup.

Celebrate Black History Month in Harriet Tubman Country on Maryland’s Eastern Shore2024-02-06T18:45:55-05:00
6 02, 2024

Tubman Museum unveils ‘in-the-round’ mural, “Minty’s Act of Courage”

2024-02-06T18:29:52-05:00
Harriet Tubman Mural, by Michael Rosato

“Take My Hand” Mural by Michael Rosato at the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, MD.

The Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center (Stop #6 on the Tubman Byway) has unveiled its newest mural, “Minty’s Act of Courage,” featuring a site of great significance in Tubman’s life. Created by artist Michael Rosato, the mural – painted on all four walls of the room – captures views from the Bucktown General Store (Stop #18 on the Tubman Byway). This site is where Tubman had her first act of defiance as a young girl – and where she nearly lost her life. The artist is the same one who created the famous “Take My Hand” mural (pictured here), also at the Tubman Museum. This small museum has been run by dedicated volunteers for decades and is located in downtown Cambridge, Maryland at 424 Race St.

Tubman Museum unveils ‘in-the-round’ mural, “Minty’s Act of Courage”2024-02-06T18:29:52-05:00
30 10, 2023

Malone’s Church named National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site

2023-12-01T09:16:57-05:00

National Underground Railroad Network to FreedomMalone’s Church in Madison, Maryland – Stop #9 along the Harriet Tubman Byway – has been named part of the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom – a prestigious recognition! The program commemorates stories of freedom seekers and freedom during the days of slavery. Friends and supporters of the church gathered to celebrate the news this fall.

While the church was founded in 1864 – years after Harriet Tubman had lived nearby — the area had been home to free and enslaved Blacks since the 1790s. Harriet Tubman was born nearby. As soon as the Civil War ended, the community established its own African American church. Members of Tubman’s family are interred at the church’s cemetery.

As the Network to Freedom news release says:
“”The people for whom Malone’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Madison, Dorchester County, Maryland, served when the congregation was first founded in 1864, had spent their lives building a community rich in faith, kinship, and the pursuit of freedom — most famously, perhaps, for Harriet Ross Tubman and her family, for her confidant and Underground Railroad agent Jacob Jackson, and freedom seeker Vincent Green, an original founder of Malone’s. In 1827, Green fled his enslaver, but was captured and eventually sold to unknown buyers far away in Baltimore. Remarkably, in 1845, Green returned a free man and became a leader in the community and this church.”

The Network to Freedom program consists of sites, programs, and facilities with a verifiable connection to the Underground Railroad. There are currently over 700 Network to Freedom locations in 39 states, plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Malone’s Church now has a website up at maloneschurch.com, where you can learn more, get involved, or donate to preserving the church. For the latest news, follow their Facebook page, known as the Harrisville/Malone Cemetery Maintenance Fund.

>> Read more about the church and its NTF designation in this story from Bay to Bay News.

>> Learn more about Malone’s Church and other sites along the Harriet Tubman Byway.

Malone’s Church named National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site2023-12-01T09:16:57-05:00
18 09, 2023

U.S. Navy ship named after Harriet Tubman during event along Tubman Byway

2023-09-18T14:25:42-04:00

This story comes from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, dvidshub.net

US Navy Ship - Photo by Mark D Faram, US Navy

Ship similar to the one that will be named after Harriet Tubman. Photo by Mark D Faram, U.S. Navy

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro announced today that he named a U.S. Navy ship after American abolitionist and social activist Harriet Tubman, Sept. 17.

SECNAV Del Toro made the announcement during an Emancipation Celebration at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Md. National Park Service Director Chuck Sams, who is also a U.S. Navy veteran, joined Secretary Del Toro for the announcement at the park.

The future USNS Harriet Tubman (T-AO 213) follows the tradition of naming John Lewis-class oilers after civil rights leaders and is the second vessel to bear her name. The first was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II.

“It’s an honor to maintain the naming tradition for our John Lewis-class oilers, and Harriet Tubman is more than deserving of this recognition,” said Del Toro. “She was born into unimaginable circumstances, but she dedicated her life to facing great danger and adversity, becoming a ‘conductor of freedom’, helping others escape slavery. In addition, during the Civil War, Tubman was the first African American woman to serve formally in the military. Her legacy deserves our nation’s continued recognition, and our fleet benefits from having her name emblazoned on the hull of one of our great ships.”

Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, in 1822, Tubman was named Araminta by her enslaved parents, Ben and Rit Ross. She changed her name to Harriet after marrying freeman John Tubman in 1844. Tubman escaped slavery in 1849, when her enslaver died and she was to be sold. Sept. 17, 1849, marks the day Harriet Tubman made the important decision to self-liberate. It was this date that she and her brothers Ben and Henry ran away; however, after a couple of weeks into their journey her brothers “disagreed with her about directions” and succumbed to the fear of being captured and convinced her to return with them. Tubman left a second time later that fall (exact date unknown) and reached freedom in Philadelphia.

In the ensuing years, she undertook numerous missions south to help at least 70 men, women, and children escape slavery. Known as “Moses,” Tubman became an iconic figure during the American Civil War, serving as a Union spy, scout, nurse and cook. In June 1863, she helped plan and execute a successful raid on Combahee Ferry near Port Royal, South Carolina, guiding Union naval steamships carrying 300 Black troops of the 2nd Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Colored). The raid resulted in the liberation of more than 750 enslaved people. After the war, she continued to advocate for the rights of African Americans and women, speaking at a number of women’s suffrage events alongside Susan B. Anthony. Tubman died in 1913 and was buried at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York.

“This tribute commemorates the powerful legacy of one of our country’s most selfless heroes,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “The Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor was devoted to the cause of ensuring freedom for all despite personal sacrifice and risk. A true role model for the sailors who will serve on the USNS Harriet Tubman, her passion, courage and intelligence empowered her to overcome extreme obstacles for the benefit of others.”

Along with the ship’s name, Del Toro also announced that the ship’s sponsor will be Tina Wyatt, the great, great, great grandniece of Harriet Tubman. The ship’s sponsor represents a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew. Wyatt has spent her life helping others as a nurse and also educating and sharing the legacy of Harriet Tubman.

“Harriet Ross Tubman is a symbol of faith, freedom, family, democracy and love. Aunt Harriet’s legacy is an inspiration to a higher calling within us all, and overall, how we are enabled by sharing love for others and self. It is her supply from God that she had been able to supply others throughout her lifetime and still, her footprint lives on and supplies us now. Such a strong and dazzling example of symbolism in her honor, the naming of an oiler, a ship that supplies other ships with fuel and cargo to function at its highest level, is an example of what she gave in life and continues to give,” said Wyatt.

The future USNS Harriet Tubman is the ninth ship of the John Lewis-class. The class and lead ship are named in honor of the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis from Georgia.

The ships are designed to supply fuel to the Navy’s operating carrier strike groups. The oilers have the ability to carry a load of 162,000 barrels of oil and maintain significant dry cargo capacity

 

U.S. Navy ship named after Harriet Tubman during event along Tubman Byway2023-09-18T14:25:42-04:00
30 08, 2023

Special events planned for Underground Railroad Month in September 2023

2023-09-19T11:24:43-04:00

This is the fifth year that Maryland has declared September as International Underground Railroad Month, honoring the brave men, women, and children who fought for freedom. It’s the month when Harriet Tubman (born here in Dorchester County, Maryland) made her first attempt to escape slavery (Sept. 17) and when abolitionist Frederick Douglass self-liberated himself in Baltimore (Sept. 3).

One way to mark the month is to take the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. This self-guided, scenic driving tour includes more than 30 sites, including the Beacon of Hope, a 12-foot bronze sculpture of Tubman installed a year ago, the well-known “Take My Hand” mural, and the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center. Enrich your experience with the free audio guide.

You can also join in special events:

Day of Resilience – Sept. 9, 2023

The fifth annual Day of Resilience in Cambridge, Maryland – just a few miles from where Harriet Tubman was born – begins with a Drum Processional and Waterside Libations at Long Wharf Marina (High and Water Streets, Cambridge), led by Nana Malaya Rucker-Oparabea. Followed by a ceremony at the Dorchester County Courthouse (206 High St., Cambridge0, which will feature the official dedication of the Harriet Tubman “Beacon of Hope” sculpture to Dorchester County. There will also be a presentation for Melvin Foote, founder of the Constituency for Africa, who comes to this event every year with a delegation of ambassadors from African countries. The program continues at 2pm with a ceremony at the “Take My Hand” Harriet Tubman Mural in Cannery Way (400 block of Race Street, Cambridge), where there also will be vendors beginning at 12:15pm. There is also a “Nubian Queen” quilt exhibit at ArtBar2.0 (420 Race St., Cambridge). See more info and the full schedule.

“Paths to Freedom: Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Underground Railroad on the Eastern Shore of Maryland” – Sept. 16, 2023, 7pm

This black-box theatrical production by the Community Players of Salisbury happens at the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland. The production is based on the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Audience members, including children, will learn about the causes and effects of the novel, as well as its impact on the Underground Railroad. Located at 424 Race St., Cambridge, MD. Free admission, donations welcome. Free, but reserve at 443-235-3272.

Emancipation Day Celebration – Sept. 17, 2023, 10am-3pm

The event celebrates Harriet Tubman’s self-emancipation on Sept. 17, 1849. The day includes Tubman re-enactor Janice Curtis Greene, music, and family-friendly fun at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622.

Schedule:

10am-3pm: Traditional Children’s Games including marbles, mancala, and potato sack races.
10am-3pm: Original Team Tubman Park Quest: Get to know real stationmasters and agents on the Underground Railroad with this family-friendly scavenger hunt.
10:30-11;30am:  Talk: “A Thread Runs Through Them: Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass Connections to the Eastern Shore, MD.” Join Deanna Mitchell, Superintendent of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park.
1pm: Meet Harriet Tubman. Hear Tubman’s story through a reenactment by the Official Griot for the State of Maryland, Janice Curtis Greene.
2:15pm and 2:45pm: Music by 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.

Viewing of “Harriet” Film –  Sept. 30, 2023. 7pm

Join the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center after hours for an outside screening of the award-winning film “Harriet” in the Legacy Garden.

Please 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 October 7, 2023.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center is located at 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622. Questions? Call 410-221-2290.

 

 

Special events planned for Underground Railroad Month in September 20232023-09-19T11:24:43-04:00
30 08, 2023

Day of Resilience Sept. 9 includes Tubman sculpture dedication

2023-09-02T09:47:01-04:00

The Fifth Annual Day of Resilience in Cambridge, Maryland on Sept. 9, 2023 will feature a procession down High Street to Long Wharf, followed by a ceremony at the Dorchester Courthouse where the Harriet Tubman Beacon of Hope sculpture will be formally dedicated to the Dorchester County Commissioners. The day’s events will continue in the afternoon the Harriet Tubman Take My Hand mural at Cannery Way.

“The fact that it has been five years since our first Day of Resilience is monumental,” said Adrian Holmes, director of Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation, organizers of the event. “It is a tradition that many people in the community look forward to every year.”

In preparation for the event, the public is invited to join Sculptor Wesley Wofford and his wife, Odyssey Wofford, at 9 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 4, for the first official cleaning of the Harriet Tubman sculpture. The Woffords will supervise the process and teach participants the proper way to clean the sculpture so that the community can take responsibility for it in the future. The public also is invited to participate in the Day of Resilience commemoration and related events on Sept. 9:

  • Drum Processional and Waterside Libations, which will begin with Nana Malaya Rucker-Oparabea leading a walk at 10:30 a.m. from the Dorchester County Courthouse, continuing down historic High Street to Long Wharf Marina, where ships bearing enslaved persons once docked. Participants are asked to dress in white and meet at the Courthouse, 206 High Street, at 10:15 a.m.
  • Ceremony at noon at the Courthouse, which will include a decree from Alpha Genesis formally dedicating the sculpture to Dorchester County. The program also will honor Melving Foote and Jeannine Scott, from the Constituency for Africa, who have been involved with the Day of Resilience since the beginning by coordinating discussion forums and the attendance of African ambassadors each year.
  • Vendor Market at Cannery Way, with food, crafts and other items, will be set up from 12:15-8pm. There also will be music outside throughout the afternoon and inside the Art Bar 2.0 in the evening.
  • Blessing ceremony at the “Take My Hand” mural, which also is celebrating five years since its installation on the side of the Harriet Tubman Museum, 424 Race Street. The ceremony will take place at 2pm and will include Lovie, who at age 3 was featured in the iconic photo showing her reaching out to take Harriet Tubman’s hand. The program also will include an overview of the public projects planned for the Cannery Way area and neighboring buildings.
  • Quilt display of approximately 100 handmade quilts at the Art Bar, 420B Race Street. with an evening wine and cheese reception for the Nubian Quilters.

On Sunday, Sept. 10, the Art Bar also will host a Gospel Brunch from 11am to 2pm.

For more information about the schedule for the Day of Resilience and the weekend events and for tickets, visit the Alpha Genesis website.  The Day of Resilience was first held in 2019 in Cambridge to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. That event received gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional citations and received the Outstanding Heritage Project Award from the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area. The event has grown every year since then, and in 2020, the observance was highlighted by the unveiling of a traveling sculpture of Harriet Tubman. Motivated by the community response to the traveling sculpture, Alpha Genesis led the grassroots drive that raised $250,000 to have the permanent Harriet Tubman statue created specifically for Dorchester County. The permanent sculpture was unveiled in 2022.

Day of Resilience Sept. 9 includes Tubman sculpture dedication2023-09-02T09:47:01-04:00
1 05, 2023

Heritage Mini-Grant Applications Open

2023-05-01T12:11:23-04:00

The Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area (HCCHA) is accepting Mini-Grant applications for projects that enrich heritage resources or events in Dorchester County. These small, matching grants of up to $5,000 are available to local municipalities and non-profit organizations with​in the HCCHA.

The mini-grants support the efforts of local museums, organizations and municipalities that advance the mission and goals of the Heritage Area. Projects must be heritage-tourism related, and only non-capital projects are eligible for funding. The mini-grants are just one way that the HCCHA provides support for projects and events that will encourage or improve heritage tourism.

Past grants have helped fund and support historical research and documentation, brochures and marketing efforts, interpretation and education, preservation planning, events, feasibility studies, exhibits and way finding, and natural resource projects. Additionally, mini-grants can be used for professional development to allow heritage partners to take advantage of workshops or seminars that they might not have been able to attend otherwise.

This past year, the HCCHA Board of Directors awarded mini-grants totaling $25,000, and they anticipate being able to award $25,000 again this coming year. All of the mini-grant projects support the HCCHA goals to preserve Dorchester County’s heritage, to market its heritage to visitors and residents and to improve the economic health of the area.

The deadline for applications is June 23, 2023. The Mini-Grant Guidelines and the link to the online application are available here.

Virtual Mini-Grant Workshops are scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 9 and 4 p.m. on May 11. The workshops will provide more information for those interested in learning about the Mini-Grant program and how to complete the Mini-Grant online application form. Please register in advance to receive access instructions for the videoconference. Contact Julie Gilberto-Brady at julie@visitdorchester.org to register or for more information about applying.

Mini-Grant Guidelines
Mini-Grant Application Form

Heritage Mini-Grant Applications Open2023-05-01T12:11:23-04:00
7 04, 2023

Not What You Think – A Capella Ensemble

2023-04-07T09:09:04-04:00

Not What You Think, an a cappella ensemble devoted to social justice, is celebrating Harriet Tubman at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park with performances at 1:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, April 16.

The program, which is free and open to the public, will express the journey for equality, freedom and peace, exemplified by the life of Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman State Park is located at 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD.

Download a flyer here.

Not What You Think – A Capella Ensemble2023-04-07T09:09:04-04:00
30 03, 2023

Harriet’s Spring Egg Hunt

2023-03-30T11:02:50-04:00
Bring your friends and family to the inaugural spring egg hunt at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center!

Come at any time between 11am and 3 pm on Saturday, April 8, and collect as many eggs as you can in 20 minutes. Check-in with a ranger before you begin. Win small prizes and learn about Harriet Tubman! Download the Harriet’s Spring Egg Hunt flyer.

The Underground Railroad State Park is located at 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD, 21622.

Harriet’s Spring Egg Hunt2023-03-30T11:02:50-04:00
13 03, 2023

Chesapeake Country All-American Road Meeting

2023-03-13T09:15:29-04:00

Learn more about the future of interpretation along the Chesapeake Country All-American Road, which winds through Harriet Tubman country! This route received the prestigious All-American Road designation in 2021. Drop by one of the upcoming meetings for a sneak peek or join in a deeper dive as plans are discussed on how to interpret the region’s natural and cultural resources. Planners have formulated recommendations and would appreciate your feedback on our ideas for how they can work together to improve the visitor experience along this nationally significant scenic byway. All meetings are open to the public. Download a flyer here.

Please sign up for one of the meetings using this link.

Tuesday, 3/14 — Salisbury (Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore)
1-3pm Open house/drop-in
3-5pm Presentation

Wednesday, 3/15 — (Talbot Community Center, Easton. MD)
3-5pm Open house/drop-in
5:30-7:30pm Presentation

Thursday, 3/16 — Galena (Galena Fire House)
2-4pm Open house/drop-in
4:30-6:30pm Presentation

Chesapeake Country All-American Road Meeting2023-03-13T09:15:29-04:00
26 02, 2023

5 ways to celebrate Harriet Tubman Month in her homeland in March 2023

2023-03-11T08:58:21-05:00

Celebrate Harriet Tubman in the land where she was born in March, unofficially considered Harriet Tubman Month. This was the month she was born here in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. And March 10 is officially Harriet Tubman Day in the United States – commemorating the anniversary of her passing on that day in 1913. Here are a few ideas on how to mark Tubman Month here along the Tubman Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Harriet Tubman Day at the Tubman Visitor Center

March 11, 10:30am-3:30pm

Tubman Visitor CenterThe Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center hosts its annual Harriet Tubman Day Celebration with programs, activities, and ranger-led talks. Free admission. In Church Creek, Maryland along the Tubman Byway.

  • 10:30am: “Valhalla Voices.” Performed by Cambridge-South Dorchester High School students.
  • 11am: From Africa to America: The Advent of Negro Spirituals – Ranger Lawson Nwakudo explores the history of spirituals and how they serve as the cultural undergirding of African American music.
  • 12pm: Tubman’s Tree: Harriet Tubman and the Eastern Red Cedar. A ranger shares the role this tree species played in Tubman’s life.
  • 1pm: Unknown Maryland Freedom Seekers from the Eastern Shore. Hear the stories of Alexander Helmsley, Moses Viney, and Isaac Mason – some of the lesser known courageous people who escaped slavery.
  • 1pm: Meet Harriet Tubman. Official Griot for the State of Maryland, Janice Curtis Greene interprets Harriet Tubman.
  • 2pm: Visions of Freedom. Watch this film and join in a question-and-answer session.
  • 12-3pm: Family activities include a 12pm reading of the children’s book “An Apple for Harriet Tubman,” followed by traditional children’s games and crafts.

See the flyer.

While you’re there, don’t miss the Harriet Tubman Byway Quilt, which depicts all 45 sites along the byway. It was created by the National African American Quilt Guild. Watch this video for close-up views of each square.

Harriet Tubman Day: Stories at the Sculpture

March 11, 4pm

Walter Jones, storyteller and musicianExperience the extraordinary power of storytelling through the narratives of Harriet Tubman’s journeys and those who have been inspired by her. To celebrate Harriet Tubman Day, the new Beacon of Hope sculpture in Cambridge, MD (along the Tubman Byway) will be the scene for music, stories and reminiscences that connect, inspire and engage. The program, sponsored by Alpha Genesis Community Development Corp. and the Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center, is free and open to the public. The location for this occasion is especially appropriate – the new Beacon of Hope sculpture of Harriet Tubman that was just unveiled last fall at the Dorchester County Courthouse, 206 High Street, Cambridge. In case of rain, the event will be held inside at the Harriet Tubman Museum, 424 Race Street, Cambridge.

The schedule features:

  • Musical Storyteller. Walter Jones, an engaging storyteller and musician, will perform.
  • Stories in the Stones. Each of the inscribed pavers at the sculpture has a story and a personal connection to Harriet Tubman. Hear first-hand compelling and inspiring tales.
  • Youth Inspiration. Hear from our next generation, in their own words, as young authors read from their Harriet Tubman-inspired book, Discovering Harriet: Harriet’s Journey Home. Students from Dorchester County wrote and illustrated the book.

See the flyer.

See program schedule.

Take a road trip through Tubman Country

Bucktown General Store - Harriet Tubman Byway - Photo by Jill JasutaExplore the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, which begins in Dorchester County, Maryland – where Harriet Tubman was born – and winds its way to Philadelphia. It encompasses 45 sites, including the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center and the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center. Don’t miss the free audio guide app, with virtual and augmented reality features at some of the sites. Plan your trip.

Combine history and birding

Birding the Tubman Byway - Photo courtesy Delmarva Birding WeekendsJoin a Birding the Tubman Byway tour on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, which combines history and nature. During this guided, self-driven tour, you’ll learn about the life and times of the famed freedom seeker and human rights activist known as “The Moses of Her People,” Harriet Tubman. The route courses through the farms and Chesapeake Bay marshes of Dorchester County, home to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and some of the best birding and Bald Eagle watching on America’s Eastern Seaboard. Led by Delmarva Birding Weekends and Harriet Tubman Tours.
The next tour date is 1-5pm, March 25, 2023; more dates may be added. Details.

Join a tour or walk

  • Join a tour of the Tubman Byway with Harriet Tubman Tours. Half-day, full-day, and custom tours available.  Find out more.
  • Take a guided walk of some of the Tubman Byway sites with the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center. Find out more or call 410-228-0401.

 

5 ways to celebrate Harriet Tubman Month in her homeland in March 20232023-03-11T08:58:21-05:00
16 02, 2023

Governor shares archaeological news along Tubman Byway

2023-02-26T09:22:34-05:00

We were honored to have Maryland Governor Wes Moore at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland on Feb. 14. He was here to help share the latest archaeological discoveries on land where Harriet Tubman was born into slavery. Archaeologists discovered evidence of a home – believed to be that of an enslaved overseer, possibly Jerry Manokey – on the Thompson Farm, the birthplace of Tubman here in Dorchester County, Maryland. The finds include a brick foundation and many artifacts, including a West African spirit cache.

The news follows the April 2021 announcement of the discovery of the home site of Ben Ross, Harriet Tubman’s father. While the Ross home site is on land owned by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, this new find is on privately owned land. The artifacts will soon be on display at the Tubman Visitor Center. Archaeologists will continue their research on the on land that was once the Thompson plantation this spring and summer.
>> Read more from in this story from Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

Photos courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor.

Posted Feb. 16, 2023

Governor shares archaeological news along Tubman Byway2023-02-26T09:22:34-05:00
30 01, 2023

Black History Month Events 2023

2023-02-26T09:21:57-05:00

Celebrate Black History Month along with events and programming along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The Dorchester County Tourism website has a comprehensive Black History Month round-up of events in the area. You can view it here.  It also includes the following:

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park (4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622) will be unveiling its new Story Book Trail, Before She Was Harriet, by Lesa Cline-Ransome, in their legacy garden. Other activities at the State Park include:

Twenty Dollars and Change

2pm on February 4

Dr. Clarence Lusane, Howard University professor and author, and Harriet Tubman’s great-great-great grandniece, Ernestine Tina Martin Wyatt, will have a conversation about Dr. Lusane’s upcoming book, Twenty Dollars and Change, and what the fight to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the twenty-dollar bill reveals about race, class, and social justice in America today.

 

A Network of Evil: Patty Cannon and the Reverse Underground Railroad

2pm on February 11

Join Ranger Collin and unearth the harrowing true-story of the Reverse Underground Railroad on the Eastern Shore, which sought to kidnap free African-Americans and press them into slavery. Behind this network of evil stood one of the most sinister figures in American history, a woman by the name of Patty Cannon. Discover her role in one of America’s darkest chapters. *Content may not be suitable for all ages.

 

Meet the Bust of Harriet Tubman with a Ranger on the hour

11am-3pm on February 18

 

Ranger-guided tours of the exhibits on the hour

11am-3pm on February 25

 

Traditional children’s games and crafts in the multi-purpose room

Noon-3pm, every Sunday in February

 

Download a flyer with the State Park Activities here.

Black History Month Events 20232023-02-26T09:21:57-05:00
5 01, 2023

Children’s Games & Crafts for MLK Weekend

2023-01-05T17:08:06-05:00

Honor history at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park with traditional children’s games and crafts during Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend. Set aside your high-tech gadgets and play marbles, checkers, jacks and mancala, and join in yarn doll and mancala crafts at the Park!

The weekend events will be held from noon-3pm on January 14 and 15. (The Park will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16, in honor of the MLK holiday.) All activities are free! Download a flyer here: MLK Jr. Day Traditional Children’s Games

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park is located at 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622.

Children’s Games & Crafts for MLK Weekend2023-01-05T17:08:06-05:00
22 12, 2022

New Harriet Tubman Byway Extension in Pennsylvania

2023-03-15T11:02:19-04:00

You can extend your journey!

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway – which begins in Dorchester County, MD – now extends into Pennsylvania! “Building off the more than 200 miles of byways honoring Harriet Tubman’s legacy in Maryland and Delaware, Pennsylvania’s segment along State Route 52 follows routes used by Harriet Tubman and other leaders of the Underground Railroad as they courageously led Americans from enslavement to freedom…” Read more …

New Harriet Tubman Byway Extension in Pennsylvania2023-03-15T11:02:19-04:00
13 09, 2022

Emancipation Day celebration is Sept. 18 at Tubman Visitor Center

2022-09-13T17:04:38-04:00

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center hosts Emancipation Day to celebrate Harriet Tubman’s decision to self-liberate, which she made in September 1849. On Sunday, September 18, from 10am to 4pm, the event will include educational programs and family fun. Activities include a birding outing, an interactive foraging tour with historian Anthony Cohen, and children’s games. Topics of the talks include “Black Jacks, Iron Furnaces, and the Underground Railroad;” “African American Women in the Civil War;” and “Gloria Richardson and the Cambridge Civil Rights Movement.” Self-guided activities include Park Quest, Junior Ranger (original version), and Junior Ranger (sights and sounds of freedom version). This  year marks 2oo years since Harriet Tubman’s birth. September is also International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland.

Here is the full schedule.

10 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.

11 a.m.: Reminiscing on Nostalgia. Join Ranger “Mama Mary” Dennard on this interactive journey down memory lane as she looks back at the past and her early years spent in Dorchester County. Understand the progress that has been made as she shares her life experiences and encourages you to appreciate your life in 2022. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

Noon: They Pointed Them North: Black Jacks, Iron Furnaces, and the Underground Railroad. Join Ranger Tim and learn about the vital roles played by Black Jacks and iron furnaces on the Underground Railroad. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

1 p.m.: African American Women in the Civil War. Join Ranger Henry and delve into Harriet Tubman’s time in the Union Army and the important roles women played in the Civil War. Harriet Tubman is best known for her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Lesser known is that from 1862 to 1865 she served the Union Army as a nurse and a scout, even helping to lead an armed raid. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

2 p.m.: The Fight Continues: Gloria Richardson and the Cambridge Civil Rights Movement. Join Ranger Collin and learn about the perseverance, determination, and activism of Gloria Richardson. A century after the birth of Harriet Tubman, one brave woman would stand up and lead a fight against racism and oppression. She would create an electrifying movement that drew the eyes of a nation to the small city of Cambridge. Though she is often forgotten, the legacy of Gloria Richardson and the fight she started continues to this day. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

3 p.m.: Foraging Freedom: Experiencing the Natural World of the Underground Railroad. Join historian Anthony Cohen for an immersive experience and discover how self-liberators used the natural world to assist in their escapes. This interactive tour will guide visitors along paths through the Legacy Garden, as well as the adjoining Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, and reveal how the flora, fauna, and landscape of the Eastern Shore played a crucial role in the quest for freedom! Participants should expect to be on their feet and are encouraged to wear comfortable all-weather shoes. No dogs are allowed on the refuge. Please meet at the pavilion.

All-day Activities:

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (Extended Trailer). View on-the-hour screenings of Maryland Public Television’s extended trailer for “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom” in the theater.

Noon-3 p.m.: Children’s Games. Join Ranger Joanna for some family fun in our legacy garden. Activities will include traditional children’s games such as marbles, horseshoes, jump rope, and potato sack races!

Address: 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, Maryland 21622
Phone: 410-221-2290

While you’re here, plan a road trip to explore more of the Harriet Tubman Byway. More info.

Emancipation Day celebration is Sept. 18 at Tubman Visitor Center2022-09-13T17:04:38-04:00
12 09, 2022

‘Beacon of Hope’ statue honors Tubman in her homeland

2024-05-21T06:51:28-04:00

Beacon of Hope, the inspiring, 13-foot bronze sculpture of Harriet Tubman, is located just a few miles from where the Underground Railroad conductor was born in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The dedication celebration in 2022, in conjunction with the bicentennial of Harriet’s birth, marked the culmination of two years of community grassroots fundraising and activities to create and install the permanent sculpture at the Dorchester County Courthouse, a place where enslaved ancestors were auctioned and Tubman’s niece was rescued.

Motivated by the traveling Harriet Tubman sculpture that graced the Courthouse entrance in 2020, Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation led the drive to have a permanent Harriet Tubman statue created specifically for Dorchester County. Wesley Wofford, the Emmy- and Academy-award winning sculptor who created the traveling Harriet statue created the new one that specifically reflects her connections to Dorchester County. It is especially noteworthy that at a time when other cities are taking down monuments, the Dorchester County community came together one to honor one of their own – Harriet Tubman.

It was Tubman’s experiences in Dorchester County – both horrific slavery and love of God and family – that were the basis for forming her into the woman she became. Her legacy and her commitment to the ideals of true freedom and equality have made her an icon of courage and determination that is still relevant today. The impetus for this sculpture came during a tumultuous time for this country, a time of heightened social unrest coupled with a deadly pandemic. Yet, in Dorchester County, a grassroots movement arose, uniting a diverse community inspired by the community’s shared admiration and respect for Tubman’s legacy. Two hundred years after Tubman’s birth, “Beacon of Hope” was unveiled in 2022, celebrating the common experiences and shared values that form a foundation of respect and admiration to build a more equitable future.

The sculpture is rich with symbolism that reflects Tubman’s legacy. Not far from Cambridge at the Bucktown General Store (Stop #17 on the Tubman Byway), Araminta Ross was struck in the head with a weight, an injury she attributed to opening her to visions. This story is the basis for this sculpture, and a replica of the weight is embedded in the sculpture.

As young Araminta lifted herself from the ground, she had a vision of the strong woman she would become. The sculpture depicts Harriet reaching down to help her younger self up and offering her a key to unlock the shackle on her little arm. With this “generational key,” Araminta unlocked her inner strength to forge her own destiny: the rebirth of Araminta Ross as Harriet Tubman.

The oxen yoke illustrates the historical story of young Minty steering a team of oxen with her father. but it is also a metaphor for the yoke of slavery. Harriet crushes this broken obstacle to the point of snapping it. The piles of shackles and chains depict all of the lives adversely affected by slavery. The open shackles represent those whom she freed, and the closed ones represent those left behind, as well as the work that still is to be done to achieve true American equality.

While Harriet used the North Star to navigate out of bondage, she then became the compass rose to the thousands of enslaved who followed her guiding light to Freedom.

The Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge is Stop #3 on the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

Cambridge is now home to two major pieces of public art dedicated to Harriet Tubman: “Beacon of Hope” and “Take My Hand,” a mural by local artist Michael Rosato that went viral in 2019 and has attracted visitors from around the world. Learn more about Take My Hand, located on the side of the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center (Stop #6 on the Byway).

Things to know:

  • If you’d like to see the sculpture in person, it’s located at the Dorchester County Courthouse, Stop #3 along the Harriet Tubman Byway, 206 High St., Cambridge, Maryland.
  • Listen to the artist Wesley Wofford speak about the sculpture.
  • There’s still time to donate or to sign up for a custom brick in the plaza where the statue is located. Find out more.
  • Make a visit to the statue part of a bigger road trip to the places where Tubman and other freedom seekers lived, toiled, worshipped, and escaped. Info and free resources at HarrietTubmanByway.org.

Photos here from the dedication weekend are by Jill Jasuta for Alpha Genesis CDC.

 

‘Beacon of Hope’ statue honors Tubman in her homeland2024-05-21T06:51:28-04:00
2 09, 2022

Special events set for International Underground Railroad Month in September

2022-09-02T12:19:40-04:00

Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed September 2022 as the fourth annual International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland. The month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad, and all those involved, for its contribution to the eradication of slavery in the United States and as a cornerstone for the more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed. Maryland also continues to honor 2022 as the “Year of Harriet Tubman” to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Tubman’s birth.

“It’s an honor for Maryland to share the stories of the heroes of the Underground Railroad with the world in every possible way,” said Governor Hogan. “This month, International Underground Railroad Month, is a way to encourage everyone to visit historical sites and attractions and take part in special events, so we can continue to commemorate the visionary freedom fighters and those they rescued.”

Since the tribute month coincides with “The Year of Harriet Tubman” in Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism created a new collection of experiences highlighting the impact the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waterways had on passengers of the underground railroad called, The Hidden Chesapeake: Slavery and Freedom through Harriet Tubman’s Eyes.

“With nearly 100 sites throughout the state, Maryland is uniquely positioned as the world’s most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination,” said Secretary Mike Gill of the Maryland Department of Commerce. “Visiting the museums and attractions and taking part in special activities this month honors the brave men and women who were involved in Maryland’s contributions to free enslaved people.”

Maryland has the most documented successful escapes using the Underground Railroad and the most National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites. A range of sites offer permanent Underground Railroad exhibits and experiences, including the Josiah Henson Museum & Park, the Visit Hagerstown Underground Railroad Walking Tour, the Southern Maryland African American Heritage Guide, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Driving Tour, and Maryland’s Frederick Douglass Driving Tour.

International Underground Railroad Month events and activities along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore include:

  • Underground Railroad Walking Tour. Join a ranger from Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on a free walking tour around downtown Cambridge and discover the stories of the Underground Railroad and the people associated with Harriet Tubman’s life. (Sept. 3, Cambridge)
  • We Walk with Harriet History Walks. Narrated history tours in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties which include walking, sailing, and horse and buggy rides. (Sept. 3 – 5, Sept. 24 – 26, led by 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 take place during the annual Day of Resilience event. (September 10, Dorchester County Courthouse, Cambridge)
  • Birding on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Join Harriet Tubman Tours and Delmarva Birding Weekends for a guided, self-driven tour. Learn about the life and times of the famed freedom seeker and human rights activist known as “The Moses of Her People,” and experience some of the best birding and Bald Eagle watching on America’s Eastern Seaboard. (September 14, October 12)
  • Emancipation Day Celebration. Celebrate Harriet Tubman’s decision to self-liberate with programs and activities throughout the day. (Sept. 18, 2022 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, Church Creek)

Plan your travels through this Tubman Byway website. Download the free Tubman Byway audio guide complete with new AR/VR experiences. Download the free Tubman Byway Map & Guide. Share your travel highlights on social media using the hashtag #MDinFocus and #Tubman200.

NOTE: The image here shows “Take My Hand,” a mural created by artist Michael Rosato. You  can see it at the Harriet Tubman Museum &  Educational Center, Stop #5 on the Tubman Byway in Cambridge, Maryland.

Special events set for International Underground Railroad Month in September2022-09-02T12:19:40-04:00
29 08, 2022

Dedication of New Harriet Tubman Sculpture to Highlight Day of Resilience Sept. 10

2022-09-05T15:23:10-04:00

The Fourth Annual Day of Resilience on Sept. 10, 2022 will feature a very special and significant highlight – the dedication of the Beacon of Hope, an inspiring, 13-foot bronze sculpture honoring Harriet Tubman in conjunction with the bicentennial of her birth. The event also includes commemorations; roundtable discussions on current events and issues; a Harriet Tubman reenactor; song, dance and poetry performances; Underground Railroad Byway tours; and presentations from renowned historians, as well as Tubman’s descendants. All in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – where Harriet Tubman was born 200  years ago.

“This historic event is especially noteworthy because Governor Larry Hogan has proclaimed 2022 ‘The Year of Harriet Tubman,’ and our weekend of programming and activities will serve to support and elevate awareness of her legacy and promote greater appreciation of the significant role that she played in Dorchester and U.S. history,” said Adrian Holmes, director of Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation. “It is especially fitting that the heart of the Day of Resilience this year will be the unveiling of the new, permanent sculpture at the Dorchester County Courthouse honoring one of our own – Harriet Tubman.”

The Day of Resilience commemoration and unveiling ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will begin at noon on Sept. 10 on the Dorchester County Courthouse lawn (206 High  St., Cambridge, MD) and will feature Keynote Speaker Samuel C. Still III, a descendant of the famous Civil War Abolitionist William Still, who was proclaimed “The Father of the Underground Railroad” in his obituary in 1902. William Still is credited with helping more than 800 freedom seekers escape slavery. NOTE: Seating will be limited, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

The new sculpture will be at the location of Tubman’s first rescue – of her niece Kessiah Bowley. Historian Edduard Prince, who is a descendant of Bowley, also will be speaking during the program. Other featured presenters include Historian Vincent Leggett, founder and president of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, whose research and work have focused on the Underground Railroad and on the significant contributions of Black watermen to the maritime and seafood-related industries of the Chesapeake Bay, and sculptor Wesley Wofford, who will discuss his work on the sculpture, which is rich in symbolism that specifically reflects Tubman’s connection to Dorchester County, Maryland.

The public also is invited to participate in related events that are scheduled throughout the weekend of September 9-11, including:

  • Underground Railroad Tours available on Friday, 3-6pm. More info.
  • The Taste of Resilience on Friday, Sept. 9 at the newly restored Phillips Packing House in Cambridge, MD. The event, beginning at 5pm, will kick off the weekend with reflections, a quilt display, food and entertainment. Advance tickets are required.
  • The Art Awards Ceremony recognizing the students whose winning artwork was inspired by Harriet Tubman. The presentation will be at 10:30am on Saturday at the Dorchester County Courthouse.
  • A Drum Processional and Waterside Libations, which will begin with Nana Malaya Rucker-Oparabea leading a walk at 10:45am on Saturday from the Dorchester Courthouse, down historic High Street to Long Wharf Marina, where ships bearing enslaved persons once docked.
  • A Souls at Sea land and on-water libation and remembrance ceremony commemorating the lives lost in the waters along the Middle Passage, beginning at 3:30pm on Saturday at Long Wharf Marina, High and Water Streets in Cambridge.
  • The Constituency for Africa Ron Brown Townhall Meeting at 3:30pm on Saturday at the Art Bar 2.0. Melvin Foote, CFA founder, will host panelists Ambassador Carlos Dos Santos from The Republic of Mozambique and Ambassador Marie-Hélène Mathey Boo Lowumba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who will discuss “Mobilizing the Diaspora: Mission Impossible.” The CFA’s mission is to build public and private support for Africa, and to help shape a progressive U.S. policy towards Africa.
  • A Public Art Panel Discussion, “Telling the Stories of Our Communities,” at 3:30pm at the Dorchester Center for the Arts (321 High St., Cambridge). Panelists and participants include Wesley Wofford, who created the new Harriet Tubman Sculpture Beacon of Hope; Michael Rosato, who designed the Harriet Tubman Take My Hand mural; Miriam Moran, who designed the Black Lives Matter mural on Cambridge’s Race Street; Bridget Cimino, who designed the new Dorchester Women’s Mural; Sydnei SmithJordan, whose art pieces are a part of the permanent collection with the Harriet Tubman Museum of Cape May, N.J.; and Liesel Fenner, public art director for the Maryland State Arts Council. The panel moderator will be Jon West-Bey, independent curator and museum consultant, who is on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University.
  • Activities in Downtown Cambridge throughout Saturday afternoon, including a Vendor Market at Cannery Way (400 block of Race Street, Cambridge) with food trucks, handmade goods, music and kids’ activities, such as face painting and clay sculpting. Chesapeake College will be hosting their annual crab sale to support the J. C. Gibson Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1:30-4:40pm (418 Race Street). Free movie screenings at the Escape Room at 520 Race Street will feature local films revealing the unique history of Cambridge and Dorchester County, including “You Don’t Know Nuthin’ ‘Bout Groove City” and “The Voices of Indiantown,” as well as shorts from Dorchester County Tourism.
  • Jazz at the Mural featuring the Eric Byrd Trio will be begin at 7pm on Saturday at the Harriet Tubman Take My Hand mural near the 400 block of Race Street. Tickets are required.
  • An Evening at the Beacon of Hope will present the opportunity for an impromptu gathering at the new sculpture where visitors can share a poem, a song or uplifting words from 7:30pm-8:30pm on Saturday.
  • Gospel Jazz Brunch from 11am-1pm on Sunday at the Art Bar 2.0, 420 Race Street. Tickets are required.
  • Dinner and a play, Harriet Tubman Fights for Freedom, at 3:30pm on Sunday at the Art Bar 2.0, 420 Race Street. Tickets are required.

See more information about the schedule for the Day of Resilience and the weekend events and for tickets.

The Day of Resilience was first held in 2019 in Cambridge to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. That event received gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional citations and received the Outstanding Heritage Project Award from the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area. The event has grown every year since then, and in 2020, the observance was highlighted by the unveiling of a traveling sculpture of Harriet Tubman.

Motivated by the community response to the traveling sculpture, Alpha Genesis led the grassroots drive that raised $250,000 to have the permanent Harriet Tubman statue created specifically for Dorchester County. The unveiling celebration marks the culmination of two years of community grassroots fundraising and activities to create and install the permanent sculpture.

Dedication of New Harriet Tubman Sculpture to Highlight Day of Resilience Sept. 102022-09-05T15:23:10-04:00
28 03, 2022

Maryland governor proclaims “The Year of Harriet Tubman”

2022-03-28T09:18:07-04:00

Governor Larry Hogan officially proclaimed 2022 as “The Year of Harriet Tubman” in Maryland as the state celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of the nation’s most renowned freedom fighter on March 12. The governor announced the designation at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center in Church Creek as the kick-off to a full weekend of 200th birthday events celebrating the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad.

“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,” said Governor Hogan. “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.”

This weekend also marked the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, which is co-managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Park Service, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park. Since opening in 2017, the park has welcomed more than 300,000 guests from nearly 70 countries—despite a lengthy closure and limited capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those visitors, more than 18,000 youngsters have been sworn in as Harriet Tubman State Park Junior Rangers, following activities that teach about Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy, and the importance of the Underground Railroad.

“This bicentennial year is a perfect time for people to experience Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy by touring the byway and visiting our 17-acre state park and visitors center,” said Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “Throughout ‘The Year of Harriet Tubman,’ the park will offer programs and immersive experiences about Harriet Tubman’s life, surrounded by the landscape that looks much like it did during her time.”

As the birthplace of Harriet Tubman, Maryland is uniquely positioned to celebrate her lifelong achievements and provide visitors and residents places to learn more about Harriet Tubman, her life, and the Underground Railroad. Her stories are told at destinations across Maryland through attractions, special events, curated exhibits, and driving tours.

“Maryland’s Eastern Shore was named in two prestigious travel magazines—National Geographic World Best Places to Travel in 2022 and Fodor’s Best Places of 2022—because of our history, heritage, and connection with Harriet Tubman,” said Secretary Mike Gill of the Maryland Department of Commerce. “I personally encourage everyone to celebrate Tubman’s extraordinary life by traveling in her footsteps, especially along the Tubman Byway.”

The 125-mile-long Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad All-American Road Scenic Byway, which traverses a living land-and-waterscape similar to what Tubman would have experienced in her lifetime, serves as the perfect vehicle for exploration. In addition to sites along the byway, Maryland attractions with permanent exhibits on Harriet Tubman include:

Banneker-Douglass Museum, Annapolis
Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Baltimore City
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History, Baltimore City

For more bicentennial events happening throughout 2022 along the Harriet Tubman Byway, see our bicentennial events roundup.

Maryland governor proclaims “The Year of Harriet Tubman”2022-03-28T09:18:07-04:00
2 02, 2022

Celebrate Black History Month along the Tubman Byway

2022-02-02T12:16:15-05:00

Anytime of year is a great time to explore the Harriet Tubman Byway, but in February there are also some special happenings in honor of Black History Month.

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center: Every Saturday and Sunday in February from 12 to 3pm, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center offers a Black History Month celebration with traditional children’s games and crafts, like mandala, yarn dolls, and marbles. Plus their Junior Ranger program will be in full swing. Events are free for all ages; donations are welcome. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Questions? Call 410-221-2290. Address: 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622

Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center: In celebration of Black History Month, the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center hosts “Songs of the Underground Railroad” Sunday, Feb. 27 from 3 to 5pm. Plus a visit from Harriet Tubman. Suggested donation $20. Ticket information at harriettubmanmusicianandeducationalcenter.com. Questions? Call the museum at 410-228-0401. Address: 424 Race St., Cambridge, MD

More Black History and Heritage: Our friends at Dorchester County Tourism have created a roundup of other ways you can explore local Black history and heritage along the Tubman Byway. See the story.

Celebrate Black History Month along the Tubman Byway2022-02-02T12:16:15-05:00
15 12, 2021

Welcome to the Harriet Tubman bicentennial year!

2022-07-29T17:05:13-04:00

The world is honoring Harriet Tubman throughout 2022, marking 200 years since her birth in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. People from far and wide will be sharing and reflecting on her remarkable story. For more than 25 years, Tubman was trapped in the bonds of slavery before escaping – and then returning to Maryland time and again, risking her life to lead her family and friends to freedom. She went on to work as a scout, spy, and nurse in the Civil War. Later, she was part of the suffrage movement. And throughout her life, she was a humanitarian, always thinking of and doing for others.

It was here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that she grew up in a hard life of slavery. It was here she learned important outdoor skills, from navigation to foraging for food. It was here that she loved her family so much that when she escaped to freedom by herself in 1849, she found it wasn’t the same without them. And it was here that she returned, risking her life more than a dozen times to lead her loved ones on dangerous journeys out of slavery. She went on to blaze new trails in the Civil War (as the first U.S. woman to lead an armed military raid), in the suffrage movement, in humanitarian causes, and more. In short, her life was remarkable and still offers lessons for us today.

There are events along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway commemorating her bicentennial, including the installation of a new sculpture of Tubman at the Dorchester Courthouse in Cambridge, Maryland on September 10, 2022. Learn more about bicentennial events.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for an event to learn more about Tubman’s life. This year is a great time to experience the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, with 45 sites in Dorchester and Caroline Counties, as well as Delaware and Pennsylvania. The byway visitors we hear from talk about how inspiring it is to learn about her life, her courage, her selflessness.

For the latest in “Tubman 200” news, follow the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on Facebook and Twitter.

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority MHAA

TUBMAN 200

Honoring a Hero in 2022
Bicentennial Events
Submit Byway Event
New Tubman Sculpture
Welcome to the Harriet Tubman bicentennial year!2022-07-29T17:05:13-04:00
9 12, 2021

Walk With Harriet and Commemorate Christmas Eve Escape

2021-12-09T13:31:15-05:00

To commemorate the escape that Harriet Tubman led on Christmas Eve 1854 to free her brothers from slavery, join in for a lecture, walk, and more of the grounds of the Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms – formerly the Thompson Farm. The event includes a lecture about the 1854 escape, followed by a tour of the farm and the Witness Tree, a three-mile walk along the Choptank River, and a lantern launch commemorating the ancestors. The event begins Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 at 3pm at 22239 Marsh Creek Road in Preston, Maryland.

Requested donations is $25 per person (kids free with parents). Refreshments will be served at the end of the walk. The event benefits the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center in Cambridge, MD (Stop #4 on the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Byway).

The walk commemorates what’s known as the Christmas Escape. On Dec. 24, 1854, Harriet Tubman returned from freedom in the North to Maryland, where her brothers Ben, Robert, and Henry were enslaved at the Thompson Farm in Poplar Neck in Caroline County.

To take part in the walk, or if you have questions, email Linda Harris at campharriet1913@gmailcom or Ken Johnston at kjohnston16@yahoo.com.
The walk will be filmed by an international film crew from GetSetUp.

Find out more at harriettubmanmuseumandeducationalcenter.com

Walk With Harriet and Commemorate Christmas Eve Escape2021-12-09T13:31:15-05:00
8 12, 2021

Join the campaign for new Harriet Tubman sculpture along the byway

2021-12-10T18:14:06-05:00

A dramatic new sculpture of Harriet Tubman – “The Beacon of Hope” – is planned for a site along the Tubman Byway. Inspired by Harriet Tubman and her daring journeys to freedom on the Underground Railroad, Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation (AGCDC) has been raising money for the Harriet’s Journey Home project.

The campaign seeks to raise $250,000 to commission, purchase and permanently install a 12-foot bronze statue of Harriet Tubman (created by Wesley Wofford Sculpture Studio) at the Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge, MD – Stop #3 along the byway, and a former site of slave auctions. It’s also the site of the first escape engineered by Tubman, which ended up freeing her niece Kessiah and her children.

Find out more about the campaign and donate here.

Join the campaign for new Harriet Tubman sculpture along the byway2021-12-10T18:14:06-05:00
1 12, 2021

National Geographic includes Tubman Country in “25 Amazing Journeys for 2022”

2021-12-01T12:05:51-05:00

We are thrilled that National Geographic included Dorchester County, Maryland and its powerful connection to the life story of Harriet Tubman in its “25 Amazing Journeys for 2022!” As Nat Geo notes, “The history of the Underground Railroad flows through the waterways, wetlands, swamps, and tidal marshes of Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This is where the secret network’s most famous ‘conductor,’ Harriet Tubman, was born enslaved, grew up, and honed the skills—such as trapping, hunting, and using stars to navigate—she used to escape to freedom in Pennsylvania. She then returned 13 times to rescue more than 70 enslaved friends and family….

The magazine included Dorchester County under “Best Places for Families.” In the story, Alex Green of Harriet Tubman Tours suggests families try a kayaking adventure at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. “We talk to kids about how the confidence and lessons Harriet learned inside the terrible institution of slavery drove her to accomplish incredible things,” Green told the magazine. “Harriet never gave up and she never stopped learning. That’s a lesson they can take home.” Read the story.

By the way, 2022 also marks the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth! Read more.

National Geographic includes Tubman Country in “25 Amazing Journeys for 2022”2021-12-01T12:05:51-05:00
18 10, 2021

New book explores landscape of Harriet Tubman’s early life

2021-10-18T10:03:12-04:00

Join in the book launch and signing for A Guide to Harriet Tubman’s Eastern Shore at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (Stop #13 on the Tubman Byway) on Oct. 23 from 2 to 4pm. Created by Phillip Hesser and Charlie Ewers, this new book explores Tubman’s time here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore through narrative, old and modern-day photos, and testimonials from people with connections to Tubman’s native land. (Tubman was born here and lived here through her mid-20s.)

The authors will talk about their search through landscapes and memory for Tubman’s home in Dorchester County and how it testifies to our own search for home in the changing lands and common ground in the turbulent world of the 21st century. The book will be available for purchase in the visitor center’s park store.

The Tubman Visitor Center is located at 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622.

>> Read more in this news story from the Talbot Spy.

New book explores landscape of Harriet Tubman’s early life2021-10-18T10:03:12-04:00
5 10, 2021

Walkers take on 100+ miles along the Tubman Byway

2021-10-05T10:37:03-04:00

On Oct. 1, a long journey along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway begins! The walk is like the one last year led by Linda Harris – starting in Cambridge, Maryland and ending some 116 miles later in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania – similar to the path freedom seekers took in the 1800s. This year, Linda and 15 others will be using some modes of transportation that Tubman herself used when she led her missions to freedom – foot, boat, and carriage. The group will also be raising money for the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland (Stop #5 on the Tubman Byway).
>> Follow the walkers on the We Walk With Harriet Facebook page.
>> Donate to the cause.

Walkers take on 100+ miles along the Tubman Byway2021-10-05T10:37:03-04:00
30 08, 2021

Bike the Underground Railroad on Oct. 16, 2021 – Benefit for Harriet Tubman Sculpture

2022-02-11T10:32:45-05:00

Inspired by Harriet Tubman and her daring journeys to freedom on the Underground Railroad, Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation (AGCDC) has announced a new adult bike ride in October 2021 in Dorchester County, Maryland to raise money for the Harriet’s Journey Home project.

The Bike the UGRR ride will be held October 16 and will take riders along and near the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Participants can choose either a 25-mile or 43-mile ride. Both will provide opportunities to stop at significant landmarks and sites along the byway in Dorchester County to learn more about their historical significance. The ride begins at Cambridge South Dorchester High School, 2475 Cambridge Beltway, Cambridge, MD.

Money raised from the event will support the Harriet’s Journey Home project, which seeks to raise $250,000 to commission, purchase and permanently install a 12-foot bronze statue of Harriet Tubman (created by Wesley Wofford Sculpture Studio) at the Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge, MD – Stop #3 along the byway, and a former site of slave auctions.

The cost is $60 per rider. Find more info and sign up.

Bike the Underground Railroad on Oct. 16, 2021 – Benefit for Harriet Tubman Sculpture2022-02-11T10:32:45-05:00
29 08, 2021

Emancipation Day Celebration Sept. 19 at Tubman Visitor Center

2021-09-21T10:23:46-04:00

To mark the day that Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in Maryland on Sept. 17, 1849, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center hosts an Emancipation Day celebration for all ages on Sept. 19, 2021.

Go birding with Ranger Lawson, learn about Underground Railroad routes with Ranger Tim, enjoy traditional children’s games in the Legacy Garden with Ranger Cierra, meet acclaimed storyteller Janice Curtis Greene as she brings Harriet Tubman to life, and see the artifacts unearthed by archaeologists at the home of Harriet’s father, Ben Ross. The Junior Ranger activity will also be available throughout the day!

See the Emancipation Day Celebration flier for the full schedule and details.

Free admission; donations are welcome.

The Tubman Visitor Center is Stop #13 along the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, so you can make a day of it by exploring some of the more than 30 other stops in the area. See map and description of other stops.

Address: 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622

Emancipation Day Celebration Sept. 19 at Tubman Visitor Center2021-09-21T10:23:46-04:00
28 08, 2021

Day of Resilience is Sept. 11-12

2021-09-07T10:06:07-04:00

The Third Annual Day of Resilience on Sept. 11-12 in Cambridge, Maryland, will commemorate the theme, “Honoring our Ancestors by Reconnecting with Our Roots,” and feature Ambassador Sidique Wai of Sierra Leone as the keynote speaker during a Town Hall Meeting on Africa. The event happens along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

The Day of Resilience was first held in 2019 in Cambridge to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. That event received gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional citations and received the Outstanding Heritage Project Award from the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area. In 2020, the observance was highlighted by the unveiling of a traveling sculpture of Harriet Tubman at the Dorchester Courthouse.

Each Day of Resilience has built on the previous year’s event. This year’s commemoration also marks one year until a new, permanent Harriet Tubman sculpture is installed at the Dorchester County Courthouse, a place where enslaved ancestors were auctioned and Tubman’s niece was rescued. Next year is the bicentennial celebration of Tubman’s birth, and the statue will be installed at the Dorchester County courthouse to mark that milestone. A fundraising campaign, Harriet’s Journey Home, seeks to raise $250,000 to commission and install the 12-foot bronze statue. To date, there has been $140,000 raised in donations and grants.

On Saturday, Global Sustainable Partnerships will sponsor free health screenings for COVID, diabetes and HIV. Habitat for Humanity will host a community visioning session for the revitalization of the Harriet Tubman mural viewing area. Vendors will be in Cannery Way throughout Saturday. There will be an outdoor fashion show at the Black Lives Matter Mural by Sierra Leone fashion designer Fatamata Koroma, followed by Jazz at the Harriet Tubman “Take My Hand” Mural with artist Reggie Upshaw. For those who would like an extended stay, there will be a bus tour of Underground Railroad sites on Sunday, Sept. 12., followed by a gospel /jazz brunch featuring Suzette Pritchett at the Harriet Tubman Mural in the afternoon.

Saturday, September 11
10:30 a.m. – Meet at courthouse (206 High St., ) then walk to water for commemoration and libations at the water (Long Wharf fishing pier, High and Water Streets)
11:30 a.m. – Processional up High Street to the Dorchester County Courthouse, 206 High St.
Noon – Day of Resilience Ceremony- Dorchester County Courthouse
1:15 p.m. – Lunch on your own at Cannery Way (vendors in Cannery Way; 400 block of Race St.); box lunches for dignitaries at Harriet Tubman Museum.
1:15 p.m. – Community input on Cannery Way improvements (Habitat for Humanity)
1:15 p.m. – Art show opening, Death or Liberty by Artist Sydnie Smith-Jordon, 420 Race St., rear building
2:30 p.m. – Constituency for Africa Town Hall Meeting on Africa with Ambassador Sidique Wai of Sierra Leone
5:30 p.m. – Fashion Show at the Black Lives Matter Mural (400 Block Race Street)
7 p.m. – Jazz at the Harriet Tubman Mural (400 block of Race St.) with Reggie Upshaw
9 p.m. – Artist Reception, Death or Liberty, and After Party at the Art Bar 2.0, 420 Race St., rear building
11 p.m. – End of the Day

Sunday, September 12
11 a.m. Underground Railroad Tour with Harriet Tubman Tours
1:30 p.m. – Gospel/Jazz Brunch at the Harriet Tubman Mural (400 block of Race St.), featuring Suzette Pritchard. $50 per person. Buy tickets.
4 p.m. – End of Day

For more information about the Day of Resilience or how to contribute to the Harriet Tubman Sculpture fundraiser, visit the Alpha Genesis website 

Day of Resilience is Sept. 11-122021-09-07T10:06:07-04:00
27 08, 2021

Events celebrate September as International Underground Railroad Month

2022-02-03T11:29:04-05:00

Photo by Christyl O’Flaherty; with second photographer Tchanavia Lastie and third photographer Aaron Searcy

September is International Underground Railroad Month here in Maryland! The month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad, and all those involved, for its contribution to the eradication of slavery in the United States and as a cornerstone for a more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed. September also marks the self liberation of two of Maryland’s freedom fighters, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.

This is the third year that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared September as International Underground Railroad Month, recognizing the state as the “most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination in the world.” It’s also the month when Harriet Tubman made her first attempt to escape slavery (Sept. 17) and when Frederick Douglass self-liberated himself in Baltimore (Sept. 3). One way to mark the month is to take the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. This self-guided, scenic driving tour includes more than 30 sites, many of them with outdoor markers or interpretive signs that share the story of that place.

“Maryland’s Underground Railroad had so many inspirational freedom seekers whose stories can be explored today through unique attractions, historical sites, and programming,” said Gov. Hogan. “While Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are two well-known freedom fighters, International Underground Railroad Month honors all the brave men, women, and children who fought for freedom.”

Here are some of the events happening along the Tubman Byway this month:

Day of Resilience

The Third Annual Day of Resilience on Sept. 11-12 in Cambridge, Maryland, will commemorate the theme, “Honoring our Ancestors by Reconnecting with Our Roots,” and will feature Ambassador Sidique Wai of Sierra Leone as the keynote speaker during a Town Hall Meeting on Africa. The event happens along the Harriet Tubman Byway. There’s a fashion show, live music, and more. Details

Emancipation Day at the Tubman Visitor Center

Honor Harriet Tubman’s self-emancipation on Sept. 19 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center (Stop #13 along the Tubman Byway). The day includes birding, storytelling, talks on the Underground Railroad and the archaeology of the Ben Ross homesite, family fun, Junior Ranger activities, and more. 10am-3pm.

Tours of the byway by boat, kayak, and on foot

In celebration of Underground Railroad Month, Harriet Tubman Tours and Delmarva Birding Weekends are partnering with local outfitters to explore the Tubman Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Southern Delaware by boat, kayak and on foot. September is also a great month for experiencing fall migration, so the birding on these trips should be spectacular. Check out the tours happening on Sept. 10, Sept. 15, Sept. 16, and Sept. 30. Get details and sign up before they sell out.

Walking tour of Frederick Douglass in Cambridge

Join a walking tour that will share the importance of two visits Frederick Douglass made to Cambridge, Maryland in 1877 and 1878. The tour will start at Long Wharf and conclude on Pine Street in front of Bethel AME Church. There are two tours set for Sept. 4: 10am to 12pm and 1:30 to 3:30pm. Details

A Walk in the Woods at Peter’s Neck

Enjoy a guided two-mile walk in the woods through the Peter’s Neck district, near the homesite of Ben Ross, Harriet Tubman’s father on Sunday, Sept. 26. Discover what life was like for the communities that helped raise Harriet Tubman.

Participants will meet at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622) at 1pm and will be shuttled to Peter’s Neck, within the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Please bring a mask for the shuttle ride. Participants are also encouraged to wear boots and bring bug spray and bottled water.

To register for this inaugural program, contact Ranger Cierra at 410-221-2290 ext. 1144. Registration is required and space is limited.

 

NOTE: The amazing photo above (yes, it’s a photo!) is a re-enactment inspired by the “Harriet” movie. It was spearheaded by photographer Christyl O’Flaherty, along with second photographer Tchanavia Lastie and third photographer Aaron Searcy. Learn more about this powerful photo series.

Events celebrate September as International Underground Railroad Month2022-02-03T11:29:04-05:00
20 07, 2021

Harriet Tubman park rangers pick their driving tour favorites

2021-09-07T10:04:40-04:00

By Adam Larson

Nearly 200 years ago, an American hero named Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, Maryland. An Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, suffragist, veteran, and small business owner, Tubman overcame arduous odds to accomplish great feats. Today, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway follows in her footsteps from her home in Dorchester County to freedom in Philadelphia. There are 45 sites to explore in total, and nearly half of the byway’s sites are in Dorchester County. As rangers at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, we’ve picked out some of our favorite sites to visit.

Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center (Site #5)

Harriet Tubman Mural, by Michael RosatoOperated by the non-profit Harriet Tubman Organization, the volunteer-run Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center preserves artifacts, organizes events, and teaches visitors about Tubman’s continuing importance in the area she grew up in. Inside the museum are exhibits and a gift shop, and outside is a mural of Harriet Tubman reaching out to the viewer that went viral in 2019.

“It’s nice to have a partner in interpretation, and I’m glad that so many visitors get to visit both the museum and the visitor center and get a well-rounded view of Tubman’s story,” said Seasonal Ranger Laurel Pogue. “All of the volunteers are knowledgeable and welcoming, and help make the museum a great experience.”

 

Joseph Stewart’s Canal/Parsons Creek (Site #10)

Stewart's CanalFor more than two decades, enslaved and free Blacks toiled perilously to dig Stewart’s Canal, which connected the timbering and agricultural areas around the Blackwater River to the Little Blackwater River, the shipyards in Madison Bay, and destinations across the Chesapeake Bay. The seven-mile canal is still visible today, over two hundred years after work on the canal began.

“The canal holds a dark history of slavery, but despite this, the sunsets over it remain breathtaking,” said Assistant Park Manager Chaney Dale.

 

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center (Site #13)

Inside the Harriet Tubman Visitor CenterOpened in 2017, the Tubman Visitor Center‘s exhibits reveal the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman, with a focus on her early life here on the Eastern Shore. The exhibits are complemented with a theater, a park store, and our Legacy Garden that surrounds the Visitor Center.

“The Visitor Center offers guests an immersive and emotive experience, creating connections between modern day travelers and the 19th century. Our exhibits provide a strong foundation for exploring more of Tubman Country,” said Park Manager Dana Paterra.

 

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Site #14)

Established to protect prime habitat for migratory birds, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge also protects the natural environment as it was when Harriet Tubman lived in Dorchester. The refuge’s Wildlife Drive takes visitors past a mixture of forest, swamp, and open water that have characterized southern Dorchester County for centuries.

“I love seeing the variety and sheer number of birds at Blackwater,” said Seasonal Ranger Adam Larson. “The bald eagles are there year-round, and from winter to summer you can watch as the huge flocks of geese are replaced by osprey nesting on platforms.”

 

Bucktown General Store (Site #17)

When Harriet Tubman was about 12 years old, she went to the Bucktown General Store on an errand. An enslaved man had entered the store without permission from his slaveholder, and an overseer had followed him there. The overseer told Tubman to restrain the enslaved man, but she refused. The overseer then took a weight and hurled it at the enslaved man, but missed and struck Tubman in the head. The near-fatal injury caused her to have vivid visions for the rest of her life that she believed were sent by God.

“You can visit the site where Harriet demonstrated her first act of defiance, and while her injury was physically devastating, it was spiritually awakening,” said Park Ranger Cierra Maszkiewicz.

 

Faith Community United Methodist Church (Site #21)

Churches were a cornerstone of the free and enslaved Black community, where preachers shared a vital message of empowerment and hope. Underground Railroad conductor Reverend Sam Green was one of the original trustees of Faith Community United Methodist Church, a congregation that still worships today.

“Faith Community Church is a center of the community where everybody meets and greets each other in a historically important congregation,” said Seasonal Ranger Mary Dennard. “We are a people that remember where we came from. We are products of the past.”

Harriet Tubman park rangers pick their driving tour favorites2021-09-07T10:04:40-04:00
11 02, 2021

Birding the Tubman Byway

2021-09-07T10:06:47-04:00

Join Harriet Tubman Tours and Delmarva Birding Weekends as they go birding along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway in Dorchester County, Maryland. During this guided, self-driven tour, learn about the life and times of the famed freedom seeker and human rights activist known as “The Moses of Her People,” Harriet Tubman. The route courses through the farms and Chesapeake Bay marshes of Dorchester County, home to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and some of the best birding and Bald Eagle watching on America’s Eastern Seaboard.

The same birds that Harriet Tubman would have known more than 170 years ago still inhabit the fields, forests and marshes of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Bald Eagles can be observed year-round, and active nests are visible during the winter and spring. During autumn and winter months, you can discover ducks, geese, swans and raptors.

Choose from among these upcoming tours; each tour runs from 1 to 5pm:

  • February 25, 2021
  • March 11, 2021
  • March 25, 2021
  • April 3, 2021
  • April 15, 2021

Cost is $65/person. Find out more and reserve your spot.

Meeting location: small roadside pull-off at the Brodess Farm Site, located near 2881 Greenbrier Road, Bucktown, MD 21613. The GPS Coordinates are: 38.459031,-76.048522.

Harriet Tubman used bird calls as secret signals during her missions to freedom. Read more on this in Audubon magazine and listen to a brief segment from Living on Earth.

Birding the Tubman Byway2021-09-07T10:06:47-04:00
1 02, 2021

Virtual reality experiences bring powerful stories to life

2021-09-07T10:07:08-04:00

Just in time for Black History Month, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway has been updated with new augmented reality and virtual reality experiences that bring to life the powerful stories connected to four of the sites. With the free audio guide, you can embark on this dramatic tour along the byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, exploring landscapes that Tubman knew as an enslaved woman and from which she fled as a young woman. The new AR/VR experiences are as follows:

Bucktown Crossroads

See the intersection at 4303 Bucktown Road, Bucktown, transform to what it might have looked like as a bustling crossroads in the mid-1800s. If you do a 360 spin with your phone at the site, you will see the store, blacksmith shop, barns and houses, as well as farm animals and people in the scene.

There are four people who are clickable. Each tells his or her own story. They represent the people from all walks of life who frequented these Bucktown crossroads: A fur trader who does not own slaves, a free black man, an enslaved woman, and a slave trader.

More about Bucktown General Store, Stop #17 along the byway.

Bayly House

Watch a hologram of a reenactor depicting Lizzie Amby, who was enslaved at the Bayly house and escaped from slavery through Harriet Tubman’s network. She shares her hopes, dreams and fears as she plans her escape. The Bayly house, at 207 High Street, Cambridge, is a private residence but can be viewed from the sidewalk.

A new stop on the Byway, the Bayly House will be getting one of the iconic, three-sided Byway markers later this month. It is know that Alexander Bayly did own slaves and advertised in the local newspaper for Lizzy Amby’s return after her escape.

The Bayly House, a private residence, is located at 207 High St. in Cambridge, Maryland.

The new AR/VR experience at the Stanley Institute features Harriet Tubman organizing an escape.

Stanley Institute

Watch as Harriet Tubman recounts her plans to help two groups escape from nearby plantations. The Stanley Institute site on MD Route 16 in Cambridge transforms to what it would have looked like in the mid-1800s during a nighttime escape, and an actress portraying Harriet dramatically impresses upon you the extreme risks and danger that await.

She describes their determination and provides details that include the numbers of children, family members who had to be left behind and even how they had to deal with especially horrid weather the night of the escape. She uses Harriet’s own words to help you understand Harriet’s own unwavering commitment to assisting others on their journey north to freedom.

More about Stanley Institute, Stop #6 along the byway.

Leverton House

Although you cannot go up to the privately owned house at 3531 Seaman Road in Preston, from the end of the drive, you can use the app to see what the Leverton house would have looked like in the 1800s. An actor portraying Arthur Leverton describes the perils of his family’s efforts to help freedom seekers head north.

His story shows how assisting enslaved people with their right to freedom also came with a high price for the abolitionists. The Levertons and their neighbor and fellow Underground Railroad conductor, Daniel Hubbard, a free black farmer, were forced to flee Maryland for their own safety because of their efforts helping others.

More about Leverton House, Stop #22 along the byway.

Collaboration & Research

What is noteworthy about these new experiences is the crossover and connection with other Harriet Tubman stories told in Dorchester County, said Julie Gilberto-Brady, manager of the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area.

“We used pictures of people in the documentary shown at the Harriet Tubman State Park, and we borrowed costumes used in their film,” Gilberto-Brady said. “We also have the same actress portraying Harriet Tubman.”

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway was designated as one of the best driving tours in the nation in 2009 by the Federal Highway Administration for its scenic beauty and significant history. In addition to recounting Harriet Tubman’s remarkable life story, the Byway reveals the story of slavery and the pursuit of freedom on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It weaves through a rare landscape, virtually unaltered for more than a century.

The new experiences were made possible, in part, with funding from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. The AR/VR content was developed by TimeLooper. Collaborators included Dorchester County Tourism, the Harriet Tubman Museum, Harriet Tubman State Park and Visitor Center, Friends of Stanley Institute, Caroline County Historical Society, Historian Kate Larson and the Bucktown Village Foundation.

Download the free app from the iPhone App or Google Play stores. Search for “Harriet Tubman Byway.” If you already have the audio guide on your cell phone, you will need to delete it and reinstall the updated version with the new experiences.

Virtual reality experiences bring powerful stories to life2021-09-07T10:07:08-04:00

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway
The Tubman Byway is a self-guided driving tour that winds for more than 125 miles through the beautiful landscapes and waterscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and then another 98 miles through Delaware. It includes 45 historically significant sites related to the Underground Railroad. Spend a couple of hours or a couple of days exploring.

2 Rose Hill Place, Cambridge, MD 21613 | 410-228-1000 | info@harriettubmanbyway.org
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