While slavery still flourished in many states during the mid-1800s, thousands of enslaved people sought freedom along a secret network of meeting points, trails, waterways and sanctuaries. This was the Underground Railroad – and Maryland, located on the border between North and South, played a prominent role.

Perhaps the Railroad’s most famous “conductor” was Harriet Tubman, born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and called “The Moses of Her People.” After escaping slavery in 1849, Tubman returned 13 times over the course of a decade to guide about 70 people to freedom. She was also a Union spy during the Civil War and became active in the women’s suffrage movement.

UK travellers can drive the Harriett Tubman Underground Railroad Byway which brings to life the remarkable stories of those freedom seekers, who risked their lives to escape slavery. With more than 30 sites, which include the newly designated Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, the self-guided driving tour shows you the places where Tubman grew up, worshiped, laboured, and led others to freedom.

New for 2014 are a series of 17 custom-designed, historical markers that are being installed at sites along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. These markers can be found through Dorchester and Caroline Counties, where Harriet Tubman spent 27 years of her life.

The Tubman Underground Railroad  Byway meanders through the countryside connecting sites associated with Tubman’s early life and her later activity with the Underground Railroad. The byway was recognized as one of the best driving tours in the nation by the Federal Highway Administration for its scenic beauty and significant history. In addition to the new markers there is an audio guide that incorporates dramatizations and commentary to make the stories come alive and transport listeners back in time. The companion map and interpretive booklet allow drivers to enjoy the self-guided tour at their own pace.

In Dorchester County, seven new markers (with five installed so far) are located at sites including Long Wharf in Cambridge, where captive Africans were unloaded during the early years of the slave trade; Stanley Institute in Cambridge, where four enslaved families made a daring escape for freedom in 1857; and Malone’s Church in Madison, close to where Harriet Tubman lived and worked with her father in the timber industry.

In Caroline County, 10 new markers can be found at sites along the Tubman Byway such as Choptank Landing in Preston, near where Harriet Tubman’s parents lived and worked; the home of Jacob and Hannah Leverton, Quakers who operated a safe house; and Linchester Mill, where free and enslaved blacks would have had the opportunity to meet and share secrets of the Underground Railroad.

 “We’ve created a multimedia visitor experience to honour Tubman’s legacy of selflessness, the bravery of the freedom seekers who followed her, and the compassion of those who helped them,” said Ceres Bainbridge, project manager for the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area in Dorchester County. 

"With the accessibility of the markers, they can be easily seen and followed by the general public, I am confident that these signs will inspire more people to learn about the incredible stories of the Underground Railroad here on the Eastern Shore," said Cherie Butler, superintendent of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, which was created by President Obama last March. "The timing could not be more perfect as we continue to mark 100 years since Harriet Tubman's passing."

One hundred years after her death in 1913, the new markers are part of a broader commemoration of Tubman, including the designation of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Dorchester County and the groundbreaking Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, also in Dorchester.

To find out more about the Harriett Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, visit www.harriettubmanbyway.com

To find out more about Maryland and the Capital Region USA, visit www.CapitalRegionUSA.co.uk

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