Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitors Center, MD

Her flight north led her to freedom.  Harriet Tubman never had to go back to a land of slavery.  But she did.  Repeatedly.

As Harriet said, “I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom.  I was a stranger in a strange land; and my home, after all, was down in Maryland; because my father, mother, my brothers and sisters and friends were there.  But I was free, and they should be free.”

So Harriet made daring runs to liberate her family and friends using the same Underground Railroad that helped her escape to freedom in 1849. 

Impressive Faith

During my many photo shoots at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland I’d noticed a new building slowly rising from the fields across the road.  Curiosity got the better of me, so I popped in to tour the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park.

Of course I knew about Harriet Tubman’s work with the Underground Railroad, but her courage and authentic faith despite horrific experiences impressed me as I explored the museum.

Excellent exhibits take visitors through Harriet’s early years as a slave in Dorchester County, Maryland.  She was born Araminta “Minty” Ross in 1822, the fifth child of Ben and Rit Ross. 

As a young child, she experienced family separations, harsh conditions, a skull fracture that almost killed her and daily humiliation.  Yet, Minty maintained a deep relationship with God, speaking with Him daily. 

In 1844 Minty married a free black man named John Tubman.  Her slave status did not change although she did change her first name to Harriet.  It was common in Dorchester County for free and slave people to live and work together.

Liberty or Death 

The death of her master five years later triggered Harriet’s flight to freedom.  To pay his debts, the slaves would, no doubt, be sold off to new masters.  So Harriet used an existing Underground Railroad and her knowledge of the Eastern Shore’s marshes and fields to navigate to north to Philadelphia. 

Harriet said, “When I found I had crossed that line (into freedom), I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person.  There was such glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” 

Harriet’s story could have ended there.  It certainly would have been inspiring enough.  But it didn’t end there.  She returned to Maryland’s Eastern Shore 13 times, at great personal risk, to free approximately 70 more slaves including friends and family.  

She also gave about 70 others instructions on how to escape.  If she’d been caught, she would have been killed.  That’s impressive faith in action, a willingness to lay one’s life down for another.

Harriet later said, “I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”

Her daring escapes earned her the nickname “Moses” after Moses of Old Testament fame.

Freedom Fighter

While I knew of Harriet’s work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, I learned she’d also worked as a Union spy, a nurse and recruiter for black soldiers during the Civil War.  

Governor John Andrews of Massachusetts believed her knowledge of the marshes and shores of Maryland would help Union forces in South Carolina.  He recruited her to collaborate with the Union. 

In 1863 Harriet led an armed attack, making her the first woman in U.S. military history to lead troops into combat. The Combahee River Ferry Raid in South Carolina involved Harriet, Colonel James Montgomery and the 2nd Carolina Colored Infantry.  She and the troops triumphantly freed more than 750 slaves and destroyed Confederate supply lines along with several plantations.

After the Civil War, Harriet and her family settled in Auburn, New York.  She co-founded the National Association of Colored Women and fought for voting rights until her death in 1913.  

I walked away from the museum with a deep appreciation of Harriet Tubman’s courage and convictions.  The museum impressed me but Harriet’s life and actions outshone the exhibits.

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If You Go:

• The  museum is free but donations are accepted.
• The visitor center is open daily 9 am-5 pm.
• The center is very busy in the summer.  Plan to arrive early or later in the day to avoid the largest crowds.
• GPS is not always reliable and cell phone coverage is spotty. The museum is at 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622.  Check here  for directions.
• Guided tours and seasonal programs are available.  Check here for details. 
• Dress appropriately for the weather.  Winters are cold with snow and ice.  Summers are hot and humid.  Definitely bring sunscreen and bug spray for the abundant and giant mosquitos.
• Check out the nearby Blackwater Wildlife Refuge  for animals, birds and habitat that Harriet would have been very familiar with during her childhood.   
• The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway offers driving routes, an audio guide and more information about Harriet’s life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
• Cambridge, about 30 minutes from the museum, offers food and lodging.  Emily’s Produce (on the way to Cambridge)  at 2214 Church Creek Road offers seasonal meals and farm fresh, local produce.  Get the latest at https://www.emilysproduce.com