Harriet Tubman

Tubman's family in Auburn from left to right: Harriet Tubman; Gertie Davis (Tubman's adopted daughter); Nelson Davis (Tubman's husband); Lee Cheney; "Pop" Alexander; Walter Green; Sarah Parker; and Dora Stewart (granddaughter of Tubman's brother, John Stewart) In a letter to Harriet Tubman three years after the end of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass contrasted their roles in the movement to free enslaved people: "J have had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes of being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done has been witnessed by a few trembling, scarred, and foot-sore bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt 'God bless you' has been your only reward. The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism. JJ LOOKING FORWARD In the coming years, the national historical park will take shape through public involvement. You are invited to join this effort. PLAN YOUR VISIT You can visit Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church (exterior), and through our partners see the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center, the Tubman Home for the Aged (by tour only), and the Harriet Tubman Residence (exterior). SAFETY • Be aware that some areas are not paved for foot traffic. • Be mindful of traffic when walking and crossing streets. • Large vehicles will need to take care to navigate in tight spaces. F reedom felt bittersweet for Harriet Tubman. Despite separations imposed by slavery, she came from a close family in a tight community and she missed them. She recalled that in the north, "I was a stranger in a strange land; and my home, after all, was down in Maryland, because my father, my mother, my brothers, and sisters, and friends were there. But 1was free, and they should be free." Over and over, Tubman risked her life to rescue them and others, finally settling in Auburn, New York in 1859. Central New York was a center for progressive thought, abolition, and women's suffrage. Here, Tubmanpracticed her faith and continued to fight for human rights and dignity until she died in 1913. Harriet Tubman National Historical Park Auburn, New York (315) 882-8060 www.nps.gov/hart Photo Credits - cover: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. "Harriet Tubman, abolitionist." The New York Public Library Digital Collections inside top: Harriet Tubman wearing shawl given by Queen Victoria, Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-02909; inside bottom left to right: Harriet Tubman Residence, Auburn, NPS Photo; Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church, Auburn, NPS Photo; Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, Auburn, NPS Photo