Sarbanes Announces Authorization of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Maryland

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today announced the creation of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Maryland as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.

Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – which is home to Tubman’s birthplace – the park will include regional landscapes and waterscapes where Tubman lived, worked and was enslaved, and where she organized and led the Underground Railroad.

In 1849, Tubman escaped from slavery, fleeing north some ninety miles to Pennsylvania. Over the next decade, she made a dozen trips back to Maryland, helping her parents, brothers, friends and other family members escape to freedom.

“Establishing the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park is a testament to the profound historical and cultural impact of Harriet Tubman on Maryland and across the nation,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “In addition to educating Marylanders and other tourists about the important legacy of Harriet Tubman, the park will have a positive effect on our state, attracting approximately 75,000 visitors every year, generating roughly $3.75 million in revenue and creating about 50 new jobs.”

###