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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 28, 2013 12:28 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Cherelle L. Parker |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Harriet Tubman's Death |
| I will be introducing a resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s death. Tubman died of pneumonia on March 10, 1913. Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Harriet Ross to enslaved parents in Dorchester County, Maryland, in the early 1820s. Due to physical violence she endured in her early life, Tubman suffered permanent physical and neurological injuries. Undeterred, she never missed the opportunity to stand-up for those in need or lost sight of her desire for freedom. In 1849, Tubman traveled 90 miles from Dorchester County, Maryland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by way of the Underground Railroad, to free herself from the shackles of slavery. Rather than remaining in the safety of the North, Tubman made it her mission to rescue her family and others living in slavery. As the most recognized conductor of the Underground Railroad, Tubman led hundreds of slaves to freedom, never losing a single man, woman or child. Tubman is quoted as saying, “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say; I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” The dynamics of escaping slavery changed in 1850 with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, requiring Tubman to re-route the Underground Railroad to Canada, which prohibited slavery unconditionally. Throughout her life, Tubman continued to work tirelessly as an abolitionist and later served as a cook, nurse, armed scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War. She became the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, the Combahee River Raid, freeing more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. In honor of Women’s History Month and Pennsylvania’s deep rooted support of freedom for all, I encourage you to join me in paying tribute to Harriet Tubman. |
Introduced as HR131