Harriet Tubman National Historical Park: Discovering A Life of Courage
The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is in Auburn, New York, in the Empire State’s Finger Lakes Region. The park is a powerful testament to one of America’s most courageous freedom fighters. Harriet Tubman, a fearless conductor of the Underground Railroad, a Civil War nurse and spy, and a fervent supporter of Women’s Suffrage, called the property home for more than 50 years. Today, visitors can walk in her footsteps and learn about the events that shaped her remarkable life.
“I would make a home for them in the North, and the Lord helping me, I would bring them all here.”
– Harriet Tubman
A Brief History of Harriet Tubman
Born into slavery in Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 1822. At birth, she was named Araminta and called “Minty” for short by her enslaved parents, Ben and Rit Ross.
In 1844, she changed her name to Harriet after marrying a freed man named John Tubman. She escaped slavery to Philadelphia five years later, in 1849, when her enslaver died, and she found out she was going to be sold. A $100 reward was posted for her capture. Then, she vowed to return home soon to bring her family and friends to freedom.
Conductor on the Underground Railroad
Tubman spent the next decade making 13 trips to Maryland to rescue about 70 enslaved persons. She also provided instructions to dozens of others who used her advice as a road to freedom. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased the danger for Tubman and those who escaped. Tubman would guide many escapees into Canada.
During this time, she became known as “Moses,” a reference to the biblical prophet who led the Hebrews to freedom from Egypt. Tubman’s raids into Maryland were a perilous business. She would be killed if caught. To help minimize the chance of discovery, she developed a system. She generally did raids during winter, when the nights were long and the weather was cold. This decreased the chance of being seen. Escapes typically occurred on Saturdays because local newspapers would not publish runaway slave notices until the following Monday, giving them more of a head start towards freedom. She used coded lyrics in Spirituals (Christian Songs) to indicate if it was too dangerous or safe to move on.
“Never lost a passenger”
By the late 1850s, Eastern Shore slaveholders were holding public meetings about the large number of slaves escaping in the area. They cast blame on free blacks and white abolitionists.
Despite a substantial award for whomever was helping slaves escape, neither Tubman nor any of the escapees she helped save were ever captured. Years later, she would say: “I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say – I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”
Friendship with John Brown
In April 1858, Tubman met abolitionist John Brown. The two would become friends, with Brown referring to her as “General Tubman.” She helped him plan and recruit supporters for his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. When Brown was hanged after the failed raid, Tubman told a friend, “He done more in dying than 100 men would in living.”
Civil War Service
During the Civil War, Tubman served the Union as a spy, scout, nurse, and cook. She assisted in raids in South Carolina that led to the rescue of more than 700 enslaved people. As a nurse, she provided badly needed care for African-American soldiers and civilians.
Women’s Suffrage Support
In Tubman’s later years, she worked tirelessly to promote women’s suffrage. She was particularly close with suffragists Lucretia Coffin Mott, Martha Coffin Wright, and Susan B. Anthony and would often attend meetings of suffragist organizations.
A white woman once asked Tubman whether she believed women should have the right to vote, to which she replied, “I suffered enough to believe it.” Tubman showed the same zeal and passion for the campaign to attain women’s suffrage after the Civil War as she had shown for the abolition of slavery.
Harriet Tubman’s Auburn, New York Home
Tubman purchased a small farm near Auburn, New York, in 1859, from Frances Adeline Seward, the wife of abolitionist Republican U.S. Senator William H. Seward. Her home is less than 20 miles from Seneca Falls, New York, where the first Women’s Rights Convention was held in 1848. Harriet Tubman lived on the Auburn property from 1859 until her passing in 1913.
What to do at the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
Today, Harriet Tubman’s Home is a part of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. Established in 2017, the park encompasses several significant sites that tell the story of Tubman’s later years, including her home, the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, and her gravesite in Fort Hill Cemetery. Each location provides an intimate look into her dedication to abolition, humanitarian efforts, and community service.
We visited the park on an early fall afternoon. We had just left Seneca Falls and were excited to see Harriet Tubman’s park. When we parked at her home, we were the only car in the parking lot. The Visitor Center was closed.
Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged
The Visitor Center is located in what was once the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. Tubman founded this home as a refuge for elderly and needy African Americans and lived in it for the last couple of years of her life.
Harriet Tubman’s House
After walking around the Home for the Aged and checking out the property a bit, my wife and I walked over to her house. The house is a two-story brick home with a nearby wooden barn. I imagine the property looks much the same as when Tubman and her family lived here.
The home was locked, but we could look inside a few windows. The inside appeared to need some restoration work. Before returning to the park, we read a few interpretive signs about Tubman and her legacy. We spent about 30 minutes walking about the property and learning. I imagine we would have spent longer if the visitor center was open when we visited. Next we headed to Tubman’s grave.
Visiting Harriet Tubman’s Gravesite
Harriet Tubman’s final resting place is at the Fort Hill Cemetery. Her gravestone was covered with tributes; her grave remains a pilgrimage site for those seeking inspiration from her legacy of bravery and service. Her grave reads, “To The Memory of HARRIET TUBMAN DAVIS Heroin of the Underground Railroad. Nurse and Society in the Civil War. Born about 1820 in Maryland. Died March 10, 1913, at Auburn, N.Y. ‘Servant of God Well Done’”
Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church
Next, we tried to visit the last destination in the monument, the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church. The church was the focal point of Auburn’s African American community and played a central role in Tubman’s spiritual life. It was here she worshipped and where her funeral was held in 1913. We did not get to visit the church. It was undergoing restoration and rehabilitation, which has since been completed. The next time we are in the area, we plan on visiting.
Plan Your Visit to Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is open year-round, with tours and ranger talks available at select times. Auburn, located about 30 miles west of Syracuse, is easily accessible by car. The best time to visit is spring through fall when the weather is mild, and the surrounding Finger Lakes countryside is most beautiful.
Visiting Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is more than just a history lesson—it’s an opportunity to connect with the spirit of resilience and courage that defines Tubman’s legacy. It offers a meaningful and unforgettable look at the life of one of America’s greatest heroes.
