09/20/2026
in 1849, Harriet Tubman made her first attempt to escape slavery, leaving Maryland with her brothers, Ben and Henry. When her brothers decided to turn back, Tubman eventually returned with them—but she would soon make the dangerous journey again on her own and reach freedom in Pennsylvania.
Tubman later returned to Maryland repeatedly, risking her own freedom to help family members and others escape through the Underground Railroad. Her work as an abolitionist, Underground Railroad conductor, Civil War scout and spy cemented her place as one of the most consequential figures in American history.