Harriet Tubman's Maryland: Exploring the Eastern Shore
Harriet Tubman was one of the most influential African Americans in American history. She was born into slavery and escaped to freedom, becoming one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad and helping hundreds of other slaves flee as well. After her death, Tubman’s ashes were buried at Fort Hill in Auburn, New York where they remained undisturbed until 1913 when they were exhumed to be interred in a new memorial at the nearby burial ground of Evergreen Cemetery.
The first stop – St. Michaels
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Dorchester County, on Maryland’s eastern shore. Today, a statue of her stands at her childhood home, but there are other traces of her life as well. Start by exploring some of those sites – and learn how she became one of history’s greatest figures. [Link to add here]
Second stop – Poplar Neck
Located in Dorchester County on Maryland’s eastern shore, Poplar Neck is one of the stops Harriet Tubman would have made during her midnight journeys out of slavery. Sadly, there is no marker at this spot to identify it as a place where she may have lived and worked, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to see. The site today hosts a private residence and several churches, including Shiloh Baptist Church.
Third stop – Wye House/Wye Island
Harriet would have been familiar with Wye House as it was a frequent stopping point for runaway slaves on their journey north. The Wye House belonged to William Deneale who, according to his will of 1860, had employed a negro man named George. George was not to be set free until his wife Phoebe and children reached 20 years of age. This suggests that slavery still existed in Anne Arundel County in 1860 and that some owners were keeping slaves well into middle-age.
Fourth stop – Masonville Cove/Pilot Town
There’s no marker for Masonville Cove/Pilot Town, Harriet Tubman’s fourth stop along her journey to freedom. And there are other important stops on her route as well – Dr. Thompson’s home in Bucktown, for example – where nothing was ever erected to commemorate her presence there. Yet that doesn’t mean she isn’t present there.
Fifth stop – Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (and beyond)
Follow signs to St. Mary’s County and continue south on Route 360 until you see a sign for Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Take that exit and follow signs to St. Martin’s Church, which will take you into McDaniel, where Harriet lived and worked as a cook and housekeeper until she escaped slavery with her husband, John Tubman (who was known as John Bowley), in 1849.
Conclusion and Further Reading
Since its launch in 2013, Harriet Tubman was a constant presence in Maryland. Even though she never lived here, Maryland played an important role in her life, and today you can find traces of her throughout our state. From studying her story to visiting her former homes and hiding places, visitors can piece together a picture of what life might have been like for one of America’s most famous abolitionists.