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2004 SESSION

049207228
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 462
Offered March 5, 2004
Commending Harriet Tubman Day.
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Patrons-- Baskerville, Amundson, BaCote, Van Landingham, Ward and Watts
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WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1819 or 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland; was raised under harsh conditions; and at the age of 12 was seriously injured by a blow to the head inflicted by a white overseer for refusing to assist in tying up a man who had attempted escape; and

WHEREAS, in 1849, with the help of the nascent Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in Canada; and

WHEREAS, after freeing herself from slavery, Harriet Tubman returned to Maryland to rescue other members of her family, and in all, she is believed to have conducted approximately 300 people on the Underground Railroad to freedom in the North; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman was closely associated with several prominent abolitionists, including John Brown, and after the outbreak of the Civil War, she served as a soldier, spy, and nurse; and

WHEREAS, after the close of the Civil War, Harriet Tubman returned to Auburn, New York, where she married Nelson Davis and lived in a home that still stands on the property; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman helped Auburn, 12 miles from Seneca Falls, remain a center of activity in support of women's rights until her death in 1913; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of the numerous and significant contributions of Harriet Tubman, the Harriet Tubman Historical Society founded Harriet Tubman Day for the Harriet Tubman Organization in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman Day, observed annually on March 10th since 1990, notes the accomplishments and the lasting influence of Harriet Tubman and is an opportunity for Americans to celebrate women achievers in all fields and communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Harriet Tubman Historical Society and the Harriet Tubman Organization for sponsoring Harriet Tubman Day; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the Harriet Tubman Historical Society and the Harriet Tubman Organization as an expression of the General Assembly's support for the celebration of the life of Harriet Tubman, a woman who dedicated her life to freedom, justice, and human dignity.