Before she became the historic hero known as Harriet Tubman, Araminta Ross was born in early 1822 near Cambridge on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Some 200 years later, she is celebrated as a global icon of freedom.
Numerous organizations, attractions and agencies in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic are planning commemorative events tied to Tubman for Black History Month and her birthday.
Harriet Tubman’s distinction as the first Black woman in the U.S. military is now being recognized. A scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War, she helped plan and lead the Combahee River raid in 1863 with the all-Black 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment.