Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring March 10, 2026, as Harriet Tubman Day in Rockville, Maryland
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Mayor and Council read, approve, and present the proclamation to Anita Powell, Chair, Rockville Historic District Commission, Lincoln Park Historical Foundation, and The
Leroy E. Neal African American Research Center.
Discussion
Harriet Tubman Day is an American holiday in honor of the anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman, observed annually on March 10 in the states of New York and Maryland. Observances also occur locally around the U.S. After Juneteenth became a federal holiday, there are growing calls for this day to also be observed at the federal level.
The holiday was approved as Public Law 101-252 by the 101st Congress in a joint resolution on March 13, 1990. The law was considered and passed by the U.S. Senate <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate> on March 6, 1990, and then was considered and passed through the U.S. House of Representatives <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives> on March 7, 1990. U.S. President George H. W. Bush <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush> gave Proclamation 6107 on March 9, 1990, proclaiming the holiday.
History
Harriet Tubman was born as Araminta Ross to enslaved parents, Harriet Green and Benjamin Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland in 1822. She had eight brothers and sisters, which would soon change when three of her sisters were sold, never to be seen again. Tubman’s drive for justice began early when, at the age of 12, she stepped in the way of an overseer throwing a two-pound metal weight at a slave who was attempting to escape. This blow to the head left Tubman with a lifetime of severe headaches and narcolepsy, causing her to fall into deep sleep at random times.
Even though slaves were not legally allowed to marry, she entered a marital union with John Tubman, a free back man, in 1844. She changed her last name from Ross to Tubman and took her mother’s first name, Harriet. Upon hearing that her brother’s Ben and Henry were to be sold, Tubman started to plan her escape. She managed to escape in 1849 with her two brothers, although her husband refused to go with her. Tubman discovered the Underground Railroad system, established in the late eighteenth century by Black and White abolitionists, and used it to help her escape. After traveling this system for 90 miles, Tubman gained her freedom in Pennsylvania.
She found work as a housekeeper in Philadelphia but was not satisfied with that life. She wanted freedom not just for herself, but for her family, and for others who were enslaved. Tubman returned to the South to free her niece and her niece’s children. Using the Underground Railroad, Tubman gained vast knowledge of transportation in the South and directly helped at least 70 enslaved people find freedom. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which allowed fugitive and freed workers in the North to be captured and enslaved, encouraged slave owners to put a $40,000 reward on Tubman’s capture or death. This did not stop Tubman, and over the next 10 years, it is estimated that she helped emancipate 300 enslaved people with the help of abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass.
Harriet Tubman was believed to have said, “I would have freed more slaves if they knew they were slaves…”
During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman was recruited at Fort Monroe, where she worked as a nurse, cook, and laundress, all while assisting fugitive enslaved people and helping treat the sick. Later in the war, she became head of an espionage and scout network for the Union Army, providing intelligence to Union commanders about Confederate Army supply routes.
In 1990, the United States Congress enacted Harriet Tubman Day as a national holiday to celebrate all the heroic work she accomplished in her life. George Bush Sr. proclaimed the holiday on March 9, 1990, and the national day of observance was set for March 10 in respect to Harriet Tubman’s date of death. Here in Rockville, we encourage everyone to observe this day and to help everyone around us to understand the significance of Harriet Tubman’s service and life to American history.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council present the Harriet Tubman proclamation annually.
Public Notification and Engagement
Each year, on March 10, Harriet Tubman Day, we in The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, at the University of Maryland, College Park, sound the call to gather.
Harriet Tubman Day Commemoration 2026 - An All-Day Event on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Atrium.
The Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center
424 Race Street, Cambridge, Maryland 21613
Goal of the Center:
“It is our goal to preserve and celebrate the historical legacy of Harriet Tubman and other influential African Americans from Maryland's Eastern Shore. We invite you to visit our museum and experience the rich history and inspiring stories that shaped our nation. Through exhibits, films, educational programs, and engaging events, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the profound impact these individuals had on the fight for freedom and equality. We also offer historical tours. You do not have to book a tour in order to visit the museum, but we still highly recommend them! Come explore the journeys of courage and resilience that continue to inspire us today. “
Hours of Operation: Thursday and Friday - 12: 00 PM - 3:00 PM Saturday 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Sunday by Appointment