Maryland to Open State Park Honoring Ex-Slave Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery at age 27, helped others in bondage flee to freedom via the Underground Railroad. To honor her achievements and her historical legacy, the state of Maryland has just broken ground on a new state park in her honor. According to a Reuters story published in today's Chicago Tribune, the construction of the park commemorates the centennial of Tubman's passing.

"The house," the article noted, "coincides with the opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, a 125-mile drive with more than 30 historical stops related to Tubman's early life and the Underground Railroad."