March 2013 marks the 100-year anniversary of the passing of Harriet Tubman, an enslaved Maryland native who became the legendary “conductor” of the Underground Railroad.
Her homeland on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties) has launched a year-long celebration of her life and legacy.
Harriet Tubman Centennial events will happen throughout the year to remember this famed American hero who led more than 70 enslaved people to freedom, served as a Civil War spy and nurse, and fought for women’s rights.
The Harriet Tubman Centennial Launch Weekend from March 8 to 10 will include a number of events to commemorate her life and legacy. There will be a groundbreaking for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park near Cambridge (Dorchester County), and a ribbon-cutting for a similarly named Tubman Byway that extends 125 miles in Maryland. The Harriet Tubman Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, March 9. Jazz musician Marcus Shelby presents a Tubman musical tribute with a March 10 concert at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge.
A journey on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway will take you back in time to pre-Civil War America to explore the secret network of trails, waterways and safe houses used by enslaved people fleeing north to escape bondage.
More information is at Harriet Tubman Centennial.
For more information about top events in Maryland take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Maryland.