Road to Freedom:

PHOTO STORY by NAVIN DAVOODI

Hiding in plain sight on Maryland’s Eastern Shore lies a rich history detailing one of America’s most difficult times. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway tells the story of how one of the country’s greatest patriots freed hundreds of enslaved people, leading them through treacherous land and dangerous waters in the righteous cause of liberty. Guiding visitors through various historic sights, museums and works of art, the Tubman Byway has cemented itself as one of the most important historical landmarks in the state.

graphics by NADEEN PERERA

Encompassing a 223-mile drivable route, the Byway runs through three states, starting in Maryland, moving through Delaware and ending in Philadelphia. Along the route lie 45 sites important to the workings and history of the Underground Railroad. Many are dedicated to Harriet Tubman’s remembrance. Others mark important historical sites and places that were critical to the work of Railroad conductors and the emancipation of enslaved people.

In Maryland’s Dorchester County sits the farm where a slaver enslaved Harriet Tubman and her family, starting in the early 1820s.

Along the route of the Byway lie many sites critical to the liberation of enslaved individuals. Tubman used the Bestpitch Ferry Bridge in Cambridge, MD, as a landmark to identify the way north. Places such as these were crucial in aiding Tubman and other conductors to navigate the Railroad in their effort to escape the South.

The visitor center focuses on Tubman’s bravery and perseverance in her efforts to bring others to freedom. It exhibits various sculptures of her pulling freedom seekers aboard a boat and leading others to safety, as well as multimedia exhibits and a library.

Tubman’s story began on a farm in the 1820s, where she was born under the name Araminta Ross to enslaved parents Benjamin and Harriet Greene Ross. At the age of six, Tubman was separated from the rest of her family. Though she eventually reunited with her parents and freed some of her siblings, three were forever lost to the family after being sold in the deep South. Harriet later married and took the last name of her husband, John Tubman. As she formulated plans to escape bondage, she adopted her mother’s name in an effort to conceal her identity. Following the light of the North Star, Tubman eventually made it to the safety of the North with two of her brothers. Now free, Tubman became an operator for the Underground Railroad. Over the course of her life, she would make at least thirteen journeys into Maryland to rescue family and friends.

Artist renderings on premises at the park capture Tubman’s bravery and resolve. The Tubman Byway stands as a testament to the incredible resilience, determination and courage of Tubman and many others who risked their lives to help enslaved people along the road to freedom. The Byway will continue to exemplify what it means to fight for liberty — a continuous reminder of what has forged America, and what still lies ahead in the ongoing journey towards a more perfect union.