Gov. Wes Moore on Monday unveiled a new roadside historical marker honoring the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman, a Maryland native, abolitionist, and the conductor of the Underground Railroad.
The new historical roadside marker stands less than three miles from Tubman’s birthplace on the Eastern Shore, commemorating where she spent her early life.
“We continue the work of honoring General Harriet Tubman through this historic marker, recognizing the place of her birth,” Moore said in a statement. “For generations to come, residents and visitors alike will pass by here and learn of Tubman’s legacy. And they will learn about the achievements of someone who had high hopes for us, even if she never saw those hopes realized in her lifetime. Maryland has come together—across party lines and zip codes—to say in one voice: Our history is our power and we are going to protect it, defend it, and pass it on.”
Tubman was born Araminta Ross to enslaved parents around 1822 on Anthony Thompson’s farm in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her life reflected the brutal realities of slavery. When she was a teenager, her father, Ben Ross taught her how to navigate wooded wetlands and how to hone her survival skills.
Her community included Black watermen who navigated local waterways. With them she created a network of secret communication between enslaved people trying to escape and their allies, leading herself and 70 others to freedom. On Veteran’s Day in 2024, the revered abolitionist was posthumously awarded the rank of Brigadier General.
In 2021, Maryland Department of Transportation archaeologists discovered Ben Ross’s home through an extensive search. They used historic documents to narrow down a search area and dug 1,000 holes along a historic road before they found an 1808 coin and a handful of broken 19th century ceramic sherds. Over the past four years, archaeologists processed hundreds of artifacts from Ross’s home, which is deep in the wetlands of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
The unveiling of the Tubman roadside historical marker comes after the launch of a virtual museum in March 2025, created to share the history and artifacts from where she spent her teenage years.
“This marker is an opportunity to recognize the faith and resilience of people who were forced to adapt to horrible conditions in order to survive,” said Tina Wyatt, great-great-great grandniece of Harriet Tubman. “It also provides a space to recognize the daughter-father relationship between Harriet and Ben. These familial ties and connection to their community cultivated this great heroine.”
After the formal unveiling ceremony, attendees viewed artifacts from Tubman’s birthplace. The celebration included members of the community, Dorchester County officials, and state leaders, all gathered to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the abolitionist and pay honor the importance of erecting permanent state monuments to powerful Marylanders like Tubman.
“The unveiling of the Harriet Tubman Birthplace Marker is more than the dedication of a sign; it is a powerful tribute to the legacy of courage, sacrifice, and unyielding determination that Tubman represents,” said Tonet Cuffee, a relative of Ben Ross. “We are reminded that her story is not only history—it is living heritage, carried forward by her descendants and rooted deeply in this land.”
Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Historical Trust are trying to increase the number of historical roadside markers that highlight the state’s untold stories. The new roadside marker dedicated to Tubman is part of that effort.
“Harriet Tubman’s courage and dedication to the pursuit of freedom for all, continues to inspire Marylanders,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, Secretary of Maryland Department of Transportation. “The Maryland Department of Transportation is proud to celebrate Harriet Tubman with the state’s latest historical marker.”
To view the artifacts found at Tubman’s birthplace, visit the Maryland Department of Transportation’s virtual museum by clicking this link.
For more information on the Maryland Roadside Historical Marker program, click this link.
