Riverfront in Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Harriet Tubman
(born Araminta Harriet Ross; 1820 - March 10, 1913)
"I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other."
Born on Maryland's eastern shore, Harriet Tubman's family of eleven suffered the indignities of violence and division common to the institution of slavery. Harriet escaped from slavery following the death of her owner in 1849. Over the course of 10 years, with the help of Thomas Garrett and other abolitionists, she led hundreds of slaves along the Underground Railroad through Wilmington to freedom in New York, New England and Canada, earning the title of the "Moses of her people". During the Civil War, she was a cook and a nurse and became a spy and armed scout for the federal forces, helping to liberate more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. Tubman died in 1913 at her home in Auburn, NY.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • War, US Civil • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1849.
Location. 39° 44.211′ N, 75° 33.17′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, Delaware, in New Castle County. It is in Riverfront. Marker is on Rosa Parks Drive east of South Market Street (Business U.S. 13), on the right when traveling
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Thomas Garrett (here, next to this marker); The Big Quarterly (a few steps from this marker); The Great Railroad Boom (a few steps from this marker); The Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Underground Railroad (about 300 feet away); Freedom Lost (about 300 feet away); South Market Street Bridge Dedicated in Honor of Senator John E. Reilly, Sr. (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named The Great Railroad Boom (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, January 31, 2019
3. Harriet Tubman
In this c. 1945 portrait of Harriet Tubman, William H. Johnson combines two classic images of Tubman, one as a young woman in the Civil War carrying a rifle and the other later in life with a shawl over her head. This painting hangs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 1, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 475 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 1, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on March 3, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
