On Maryland’s Eastern Shore there is a historic marker that says Harriet Tubman freed 300 enslaved people.
Except she didn’t.
It also suggests she was born nearby.
Except she wasn’t.
There are those who say it’s past time for the state to set the record straight on the woman known as “Moses.”
The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland recently had a special guest, Tubman, portrayed by Millicent Sparks.
“I was a conductor on the underground railroad,” Sparks as Tubman told the audience. “I guides my peoples from slavery to freedom.”
For more than 100 years, Tubman was credited with freeing 300 people. Maryland’s historical marker honoring Tubman uses that number. But it’s way off, according to Tubman biographer Kate Clifford Larson. She said the mistake originates from a book written by Sarah Bradford in 1869.
Read more (and listen) at WYPR.
Enlightening. Thank you for an interesting reevaluation.
Extremely thought provoking information on how history of all sorts might be misunderstood. Thanks!
So how many did she lead to freedom?
Thanks for the information, I love visiting the Eastern Shore. It’s important to always retell any story as accurately as possible. I’ve been to this marker and will visit the new one as well. #EnslavedAfricans