WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin (both D-MD) today praised unanimous Senate passage of a resolution honoring the life, heroism and service of Harriet Ross Tubman, the most famous “conductor” of the anti-slavery resistance network known as the Underground Railroad.
Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, Maryland, where she spent nearly 30 years as a slave. She escaped slavery in 1849, but returned for more than 10 years to Dorchester and Caroline counties where she led hundreds of African Americans to freedom. Known as “Moses” by African-American and white abolitionists, she reportedly never lost a “passenger” on the Underground Railroad.
“Harriet Tubman was a courageous fighter who delivered 300 slaves to freedom on her Underground Railroad and was tireless in her commitment to fight for those who could not fight themselves. I am proud the Senate has come together to pass this resolution honoring her memory,” Senator Mikulski said. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Harriet Tubman knew that, and so do I. Her legacy continues to inspire me and I am proud to fight every day for the freedom and equality she dedicated her life to.”
“Harriet Tubman was a true American patriot, and today’s Senate Resolution is another way for our nation to express its appreciation of her courage and leadership in the struggle for liberty and freedom,” said Senator Cardin. “For her, those concepts were very real — she lived them and dedicated herself to making sure that hundreds of others also experienced what it meant to be free.”
In 2009, Senators Mikulski and Cardin joined Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand (both D-NY) in introducing The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park and The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Act. The legislation would establish two parks, one in Maryland and one in New York. The National Historical Park in Maryland will trace Tubman’s early life on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where she was born and later escaped from slavery to become one of the leaders on the Underground Railroad. The National Historical Park in New York will be located in Auburn and will focus on her later years where she was active in the suffrage movement and in providing for the welfare of aged African Americans.
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The month of March marks Women’s History Month – a time to pay tribute to the generations of women whose contributions to our country and planet have proved invaluable to society.
This yearly celebration gains its root from International Women’s Day (March 8), a global day of recognition to honor the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In 2001, one of Maryland’s own, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski co-sponsored the first joint congressional resolution proclaiming a “Women’s History Month.”
Women have contributed so much to our way of life. In our state of Maryland alone, we are fortunate enough to claim pioneers like Harriett Tubman, Bea Gaddy, and Senator Mikulski. Most recently, U.S. Representative Donna Edwards became the first African American Member of Congress from Maryland.
The Maryland Democratic Party aims to honor the great women who have done so much for our state – not just during Women’s History Month, but all year round. Our Women’s Leadership Network brings together women of all backgrounds to engage them as voters and to increase the number of women activists and candidates for elected office.
We hope that you will join us this month and all year-round in celebrating women’s achievements throughout history.
