Black History Month: The history of Harriet Tubman

DORCHESTER COUNTY, Md. – Harriet Tubman, was an abolitionist and slave who worked relentlessly to free enslaved African Americans. Tubman was born into slavery in 1822 in Dorchester County.

Escape

She fought for the rights of those left behind and mistreated. She often wore disguises, until her successful escape in 1849. Eventually, he would return to Maryland in 1850 to become the conductor of the Underground Railroad. A relative of Tubman, Ernestine Wyatt, told WMDT she had a one-of-a-kind attitude.

“She didn’t wait for someone else to do something, she did it herself. And most people either don’t do anything at all, or wait for someone else to do it for them.”

The Underground Railroad

Tubman is known for successfully rescuing 70 other slaves until the Civil War. Her famous quote, “I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.” – Reflects her mindset as she traveled to and from Philadelphia to secure safety for the enslaved. Wyatt hopes African Americans don’t lose sight of their cultural history. “It helps us make you feel whole, and having that history makes you stronger.”

Tubman has continued to inspire countless African Americans across the country. Linda Harris, a local historian at the Harriet Tubman Educational Center, said the slaying of George Floyd changed her perspective on society. The incident encouraged her to follow in Tubman’s footsteps. She began looking via Facebook for people who would want to travel alongside her on the same journey Tubman traveled on the railroad. The journey would take 8 days, Harris said she wasn’t as free as she thought.

“To restore my freedom, I needed to walk in her footsteps, so I decided in 2020 to walk from the Brodess plantation, all the way to William’s Stills house in Philadelphia.”

What’s Next?

Harris is not the alone, there are many groups that have honored Tubman since her passing. Museums, statues, and artifacts have been built across Dorchester County. In her honor, she currently has two museums/education sites in Cambridge. One in Downtown Cambridge and the other in Church Creek, Maryland, which is backed by the National Park Service.

On this website, you can check for many historical sites tributing Tubman across the Delmarva Peninsula.

Wyatt wants youth to step up and take charge to continue Tubman’s legacy. “For her to go into greatness, and to do exactly what was needed in this earth realm, and that’s what we need now, for people to step up and step out.”