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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Burial Grounds Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource This collection is just a fraction of the burial grounds dedicated to enslaved persons, "contrabands," and freed persons. Many of these cemeteries and memorial parks have suffered greatly over the years--some have been desecrated and destroyed while others have been long ignored and fallen into disrepair. The monuments and memorials in this collection are part of local efforts to restore and recognize the importance of black life in death, including the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedman's Cemetery Memorial</a> in Dallas, Texas; <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Burial Ground National Memorial </a>in New York City; <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Burying Ground Memorial</a> in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial</a> in Alexandria, Virginia. As of 2026, the Black Cemetery Network (blackcemeterynetwork.org) has documented 201 Black cemeteries in New England, the Middle Atlantic, the South, and the Midwest. Some of these cemeteries are dedicated to enslaved persons such as the Enslaved Cemetery in Mahwah, New Jersey; Betton Hills Plantation Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida; and the Enslaved Burial Ground in Old Round Rock Cemetery in Round Rock, Texas. In 2022, the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program authorized the National Park Service to administer an annual grant program to assist in the preservation of historic Black burial grounds. See Congress.gov. "Text - H.R.6805 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act." April 28, 2022. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6805/text. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 216 in. (548.64 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Path of Thorns and Roses and The Place of Remembrance: Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial (Alexandria, Virginia) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History African American cemeteries Enslaved persons--Emancipation Fugitive slaves Public art Public sculpture Slavery--Virginia Virginia--Alexandria Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The Path of Thorns and Roses is an eighteen-foot-high sculpture that spirals upwards and includes six allegorical figures: Oppression (a semi-nude male figure), Struggle (a semi-nude male figure at the base of the sculpture), Sacrifice (a woman who grasps the limp body of a child), Loss (a woman enfolded onto herself), and Compassion (a woman holding a baby and reaching towards Loss). Hope, a man with a bald head, stands on his toes within a large circle of thorns. The figure of Hope holds an unbloomed rose in his outstretched hands. Alongside the statue is a four-walled structure, “The Place of Remembrance,” the includes the names of individuals interred at the site as well as historical information on African Americans in Alexandria during the Civil War. Limestone blocks mark individual graves. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Chiodo, Mario, 1961- (sculpture) Blake, Joanna Campbell, 1977-2016 (bas-reliefs) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 6, 2014 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource C. J. Howard, RA (original design); AECOM (formerly EDAW); Howard + Revis Design; City of Alexandria; Friends of Freedmen's Cemetery; Alexandria Commission for the Arts; and Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, Maryland (models for bas-reliefs) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Alexandria, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Extent The size or duration of the resource. 216 in. (548.64 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Granite; Red sandstone Date Created Date of creation of the resource. Design Competition: 2008 Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. City of Alexandria, Virginia. “Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery Memorial." Accessed March 21, 2018. https://www.alexandriava.gov/FreedmenMemorial. “Forgotten Cemetery for Freed Slaves Rediscovered.” CBS Evening News, September 10, 2014. Accessed March 21, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pK4e8daKPc. Ater, Renée. "The Memory of Slavery in the Urban Landscape of Alexandria Virginia." In Traces and Memories of Slavery in the Atlantic World, eds. Lawrence Ajé and Nicolas Gachon, 215-232. Routledge, 2020. Hope, Eric. "Gone But Not Forgotten: The Legacy of Joanna Campbell Black." East City Art, June 6, 2016. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.eastcityart.com/profiles/gone-not-forgotten-legacy-joanna-campbell-blake/. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1001 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314, United States Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque on base of sculpture: The Path of Thorns and Roses. Created and sculpted by Mario Chido, 2013. Public art owned by the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Cast by Mussi Artworks Foundry, California. Engraving on base of sculpture: “I am thankful there is a beginning. I am full of hope for tomorrow. A Power mightier than man is guiding this revolution; and though justice moves slowly, it will come at last. The American people will outlive this mean prejudice against complexion.” —Harriet Jacobs, freedwoman, author, educator and dedicated aid worker in Alexandria during the Civil War Inset brick with bronze lettering on plaza: 1955 Gas Station. Under this plaza is the concrete floor of a gas station, the construction of which desecrated many graves. The flooring was kept in place to protect the graves that remain below. Text from Wall One of "The Place of Remembrance": Welcome to Contrabands and Freemen Cemetery Memorial During the Civil War, Alexandria’s population swelled with more than 20,000 enslaved African Americans fleeing Confederate territory for safety behind Union lines. Initially called Contrabands because they were considered “property” taken during wartime, they would later be called Freedmen. The new arrivals joined Alexandria’s free and enslaved African Americans, hoping to find jobs, homes, educational opportunities, and lost family. They also found deplorable living conditions and a raging smallpox epidemic. Many people died just as freedom came within reach. The federal government established a cemetery for the dead here in 1864. A formal record documents the burials for 1,711 individuals through January 1869 when the government abandoned the cemetery. The community of Freedmen was left the task of maintenance, and may have continued using the burial ground well after it closed. Over time, its wooden grave markers deteriorated, and the cemetery suffered many desecrations. An adjacent brick manufactory excavated clay, exposing bones and coffins. The paving of Washington Street covered and disturbed graves and the development of a gas station, the Beltway, and an office building destroyed hundreds more. Locations of many of the surviving graves remain unidentified but more than 540 have been found by archaeologists and given markers. Though individuals can no longer be linked to burial plots, the names of those buried in this cemetery survive. They are inscribed here, along with ages, dates, and places of death, and notes left by the record-keeper. Today, visitors to the cemetery memorial join descendants of the Contrabands and Freedman in honoring the memorial of these freedom seekers. Individuals for whom living descendants have been identified are noted with this marker. [The following text appears above the bronze plaques with the names of those buried at the site.] In Alexandria’s first known civil rights protest,… members of the United States Colored Troops signed a petition requesting that black soldiers be buried alongside their white comrades in arms at the nearby military cemetery. Some Authors fought their request and, in one instance, the caisson of a USCT soldier en route to the military cemetery was forcibly re-routed to his cemetery. Still, the soldiers won their battle, and in January 1865, caskets of over a hundred USCT soldiers were disinterred from this burial ground and moved to Alexandria’s National Cemetery where they are recognized by stone markers today. Their names are listed below. Text from Wall Two of "The Place of Remembrance": [The following text appears below an 1865 grid street plan of Alexandria] The City  The Freedom seekers who arrived in Alexandria joined a large existing community of African Americans, including many free and enslaved individuals. These residents, new and old, helped to shape the city, establishing neighborhoods, and founding churches and schools. They also went to work on the railroads, at the wharves, in factories and small businesses, at hospitals and army encampments, and in their homes. Freedmen’s Cemetery This burial ground for African Americans was established by the federal government on the outskirts of town, on land owned by Francis Smith, Robert E. Lee’s attorney. Soldiers Cemetery Injured soldiers of the US Colored Troops convalescing at L’Ouverture Hospital successfully petitioned for the right to a burial alongside their white comrades at this military cemetery. Slave Jail and L’Ouverture Hospital The Price Birch and Co. slave jail at 1315 Duke Street was once the last stop for thousands of slaves sold south to a life of extreme hardship. The Union army commandeered the property as a jail. In 1804, a hospital was built nearby that treated African American soldiers and civilians for diseases like tuberculosis and typhoid, Shiloh Baptist Church congregation formed here. Contraband Barracks and School Some Freedmen found housing in crowded barracks like those on Prince Street. Despite the difficult conditions. Freedmen attended a school established at the barracks. African American Schools Deprived of an education by slavery, Contraband and Freedmen seized the opportunity to learn. Adults and children alike filled Contraband schools across the city learning for the first time to read and write. African American Neighborhoods While some of those arriving in Alexandria settled into established free black neighborhoods such as Hayti and the Bottoms, most camped out in deserted buildings or on marginal land, often constructing their own huts and shacks. These crowded settlements eventually became new African American neighborhoods such as Cross-Canal, Petersburg, and Grantville. African American Churches Places of gathering, faith, aid, and activism, Alexandria’s black churches were critical to the Contraband and Freedmen community. Many of Alexandria’s present-day congregations began meeting during the war. Railroads Alexandria’s strategic location where railroads met waterways made it a center of supply for the Union army. Rails also transported soldiers to the front and brought back the wounded to Alexandria’s hospital. Many Freedmen became railroad workers helping to keep goods and personnel moving. Wharves Many Contrabands and Freemen worked on the waterfront, processing, loading, and unloading goods coming in on ships and by rail. These laborers kept a steady stream of food and supplies flowing to the Union army. [The following text appears below a bas-relief of enslaved people escaping bondage] Fleeing slavery for sanctuary and freedom in Alexandria When Virginia seceded in May of 1861, Union troops occupied Alexandria and turned the port town into a staging area and base for operation. It also became a beacon for freedom seekers who took the opportunity war provided to escape enslavement. Thousands of fleeing African Americans made the dangerous and difficult journey through Confederate territory, often traveling on foot, some coming from hundreds of miles away. They arrived in Alexandria hungry, tired, and with few resources, and began searching our food, clothing shelter, medical treatment, and education. [The following quote appears to the right of the bas-relief.] “I traveled 65 miles and we had 52 on our number before, we crost, the river…we tought, we wold, be taken eny moment, the babys cried, and we could whear, the sound of them. On the warter. We lay all night in the woods, and next day we traveled on and we reached, Suffolk that night and we lost twenty one of the Number.” —Emma Bynum, a freedwoman describing her flights to freedmen in a composition for her schoolteacher, Miss Lucy Chase Text from Wall Three of "The Place of Remembrance": [The following text appears below a bas-relief of a school teacher surrounded by her students.] Learning to read at an Alexandria freedmen’s school Overwhelmed by their numbers, Alexandria could offer little aid to the newly arrived Contrabands. Some took up residence in temporary barracks created near the site of a former slave jail. Others found shelter in free black neighborhoods or in abandoned buildings and shanties. Social workers like Julia Wilbur, a white Quaker from New York, and Harriet Jacobs, a black freedwoman, responded to the need by gathering supplies, attending to medical problems, and setting up school and other community services. Despite their efforts, many particularly children, died from exposure or disease. Still, the freed people worked tirelessly to create new lives, and in the process, reshaped the city of Alexandria.” [The following quote appears to the right of the bas-relief.] “Besides the school in the barracks there are our others in the city, which are self-sustaining, one containing one hundred and fifty pupils, It is an astonishing fact, which ought to be placed upon record…that out of the two thousand people collected at Alexandria there are four hundred children sent daily to school. The first demand of these fugitives when they come into this place is that their children may go to school.” —Harriet Jacobs, freedwoman, educator, and aid worker in Alexandria, April 29, 1863 [The following text appears below an aerial map of the cemetery] The Site: The cemetery was established in 1864 and officially closed in 1869. Burials probably continued after this time, even as the wooden grave markers from the Civil War era deteriorated. Over the next century, this site endured many intrusions, and no longer appeared to be a sacred place. This site map identified features uncovered by historical and archaeological research, as well as desecrations, that occurred through the 1990s.” 1) Memorial Fence: Today, a steel fence evokes the wooden picket fence that once encircled the cemetery. The historic boundary is unknown, but likely included additional land that was paved over during the construction of South Washington Street. 2) Carriage Path: Carts carrying the dead entered the cemetery along this route. 3) Grave Shafts: Archaeology has identified more than 540 of the 1,711 burials believed to be present on site. Although no graves or artifacts were disturbed, the study revealed evidence of prior destruction caused by development of the site. 4) American Indian Site: Thousands of stone artifacts were discovered during archaeological investigations, including a 13,000 year old Clovis spear point. These finds suggest that American Indians periodically visited this bluff overlooking Hunting Creek for millennia to manufacture tools for hunting, scraping, hides, and other activities. 5) United States Colored Troops Section: As a result of a successful protest by USCT to be buried with full honors alongside their white comrades, the caskets of USCT were moved from a section of the cemetery to the nearby military cemetery in 1805. 6) Brickyard: Clay excavations may have occurred on the western edge of the cemetery, resulting in the desecration of graves, as noted by an 1892 Washington Post article: Of late the owners have been allowing the neighboring brickyard to dig clay from the outer edges of the graveyard with which to make brick. This digging has resulted in the unearthing of many coffins and skeletons, leaving the outer graves in very bad condition. 7) Gas Station: The current memorial plaza is built atop the floor and foundations of a service station built in 1955. 8) Office Building: The slab of a 1960 office building was covered during the memorial’s construction to protect the graves presumed to be below. A reconstruction portion of the building can still be seen on Church Street. Two stone Markers located the southernmost corners of the building. Text from Wall Four of “The Place of Remembrance”: “I have just witnessed a novel and solemn scene, a funeral in the open air. The deceased, Peter Washington, was an old man, and a slave until the breaking out of the war… After the signing and a prayer, a minister, an early associate of the deceased gave a brief sketch of the life of Peter Washington. He had eight children; in one day he was bereft of his six daughters and five grandchildren. ‘On that day’ said the minister, ‘he leant on me, and with a bursting heart exclaimed, “If it were not my hope in Christ, I could not bear up under this trial.”’ [M]any of his hearers seemed to find an echo to a like experience in their own souls, They swayed their forms, and moaned as if some wound of the past was being dressily probed. No child of his came to bid him a last farewell, they are scattered I know not where: his two sons are in the army battling for the country their father loved inspite of her persecutions to him and his.” —Harriet Jacobs, freedwoman, educator, and aid worker in Alexandria, describing the funeral of Peter Washington, buried here May 32, 1864 Text from grave marker: Many of the African Americans who fled to Alexandria to escape enslavement and those already living here succumbed to disease and deprivation during and shortly after the Civil War. Carts bearing the dead entered the cemetery along a path in this location. Stones mark the locations of more than 540 graves identified by archaeologists and now protected by the memorial. According to historic records, the cemetery once held nearly 1,200 additional graves, many of which were destroyed by buildings and roads. Of the people laid to rest here, over half were children under the age of sixteen. archaeology bronze Civil War figurative granite inscription memorial wall names https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/c2fa4d797a4d66d2d45ef6d79c49e7a4.jpg ae044eab3c1afddb8c40829db5030492 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/a84445f64fd22c24ed60ce61fa19e3ce.jpg 12437b7e8d77d3cb916d424b7e93216b https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/22d388a38dbdcd29f8a70b15d4fad077.jpg 74af0ab95d654f5425424737cfe7af29 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1e43bea9ae179b176a7c10dde537e3fc.jpg 6860045b0619bfc9868553411485fc96 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/477c445aa88fd2b40266cf3d5ed5f735.jpg 92b0e75bb3f7e6743b10967129e9c368 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/07303a2fe3a478173cf9ff65ae552e93.jpg 35708db07ef3fa5d03c5dc41b3b01673 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/42b09cf14662a0fe54bfd183b08ed1b3.jpg 12ef5f6c2aefda60b5d94a6feb796836 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/c298a538474223e6d9c1e2cb17b95aff.jpg 0bf23d91be93ee40102c807cc347fa26 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/0cef8f74c23d7e84be7806f2b9463c04.jpg 88386d88c3f70cb8f1f158c6f65baa9b https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1a545be3636da3b23209a043d566d728.jpg 3f1b8dd7217510193cbc3781fecb1692 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/970f7088562b06b5adf0592290a254ab.jpg 9915e3cce9d72a58811a21563df8fe6d https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/27fe705027328b7120ec1f6fb2724abf.jpg 3c2d115424fdda446f1358a4276c5f63 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/26a5702147d065fc60463e712abfe788.jpg 85de5aba34be048038d0ad7443ca8903 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/902fbaa67ff332362f77bff804323605.jpg 5e6d6ac9276fffedc9724f4e5b6b680c https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/a7e7230d4a8d0519469361bdcbd8b1a6.jpg 897d8f8bc789a0c43b3c3eedde751d4c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 100 in. (274.32 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom (Wilmington, Delaware) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Delaware--Wilmington Freedom Fugitive slaves Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Garrett, Thomas, 1789-1871 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource A multi-figure sculpture of Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett leads two fugitive enslaved persons, a semi-nude man and a fully clothed woman, along the Underground Railroad in Wilmington, Delaware. Tubman carries a baby in her arms and wears a head wrap, shawl, haversack, and carries a pistol at her waist. Garrett wears a suit, cape and top hat, and holds a lantern. The sculpture includes three pairs of boots, a crate, and a barrel. Signed by the artist: M. Chiodo, 2012. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Chiodo, Mario, 1961- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 3, 2012 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Oasis Design Group (Kimley-Horn); The City of Wilmington’s Percent for Art Fund; Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware; and Riverfront Wilmington Sculpture Selection Committee Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The City of Wilmington Department of Parks and Recreation, 500 Wilmington Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware, 19801, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, 815 Justison Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19801, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque: Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom, Dedicated October 3, 2012, Honorable James M. Baker, Mayor, Artist: Mario Chiodo. Inscripton on Tubman biographical bronze plaque: Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; 1820 – March 10, 1913). ‘I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.’ Born on Maryland’s eastern shore, Harriet Tubman’s family of eleven suffered the indignities of violence and division common to the institution of slavery. Harriet escaped from slavery following the death of her owner in 1849. Over the course of 10 years, with the help of Thomas Garrett and other abolitionists, she led hundreds of slaves along the Underground Railroad through Wilmington to freedom in New York, New England, and Canada, earning the title of the ‘Moses of her people’. During the Civil War, she was a cook and a nurse and became a spy and armed scout for the federal forces, helping to liberate more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. Tubman died in 1913 at her home in Auburn, NY. Inscripton on Garrett biographical bronze plaque: Thomas Garrett (b. August 21, 1789 – d. January 24, 1871). ‘No labor during a long life has give me so much real happiness as what I have done for the slave.’ Thomas Garrett has been called Delaware’s greatest humanitarian and is credited with helping more than 2,700 slaves escape to freedom in a forty-year long career as a station master of the Underground Railroad. His abolitionist activities, along with the Quaker congregation from the Friends Meeting House in Wilmington, helped to make Wilmington an important gateway on the freedom trail. Garrett helped Harriet Tubman on her many journeys, giving her food, clothing, shelter, and money. He was convicted of violating the federal Fugitive Slave Law in 1848 and heavily fined and forced into bankruptcy. Garrett devoted his life to the abolitionist cause, openly defying slave hunters, as well as the slave system. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 100 in. (274.32 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Chiodo, Mario. “Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom.” Freedom March of Art. Accessed March 18, 2018. www.freedommarchofart.com/tubman.html. Ater, Renée. "Monument and Heritage Tourism: Memorializing Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett on the Underground Railroad in Delaware." In Ending Slavery: The Antislavery Struggle in Perspective, eds. Lawrence Ajé and Claudine Raynaud, 265-286. Presses universitaires de la Méditerranée, 2022. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Relation A related resource <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9jP20hvR-M" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a> References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bronze figurative lantern pistol portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/ab2d5df36313d85e1137403652d9c170.jpg e71a03b401ff36f0c54ae2f24d71ca5b https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/ca3489a40ea3a913e909099eff0449e7.JPG c5cfc7fcf5f8ff8de16cdeb0c778584a https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/8926566edc9ffe5e5ba5a7e394ffb18e.JPG 2a4a26854b32fc3b8e68997b52e63034 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e2cc00fe11c5e5cc04d8d4dc14cd5796.JPG ed8ed862efa6c0a692586363be85c99c https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d302ddf7287cd6da5f91aefeeebf6012.JPG 826ce17761087a656e2c08b98b7f4b56 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/fb28f5578601ce44b8fbfc519239627c.JPG 763602f25f9b96cd0bdce827cf6cbb4d https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/664dfa7d6c1bd1b780ccfbb2b97748ed.jpg cbae47b117c51f27260d5c12c86315b5 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e4e48f920dc7db59e3d9f5a75781d557.jpg 46232514347a9e5264e789577e5f35ee https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/30e6ae7d7274935d4afa6f242a1155bf.JPG a7425e4c4c2cd28f837702b3bba75c05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 120 x 84 in. (304.8 x 213.36 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Step on Board (Boston, Massachusetts) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom Fugitive slaves Massachusetts--Boston Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource A high relief sculpture with Harriet Tubman and six figures: three women, two men, and a baby. All figures are clothed in nineteenth-century dress. Wearing a dress, shawl, and head wrap, Tubman strides forward, gesturing with her left hand and holding a Bible under her right arm. The figures are backed by a vertical slab of pink granite. On the reverse of statue is a diagram of the route Tubman took when accompanying passengers on the Underground Railroad (Maryland, Delaware, Philadelphia, New York City, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Canada). The reverse of the memorial also includes quotations from Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Sarah Bradford. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Cunningham, Fern, 1949-2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 20, 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource CBA Landscape Architects, Boston, Massachusetts; United South End Settlements, Boston, Massachusetts; New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts; The George B. Henderson Foundation and The Edgar Ingersoll Browne Fund, Boston, Massachusetts; and Boston Parks and Recreation Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Boston Art Commission, Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Boston City Hall, Room 802, Boston, Massachusetts, 02201, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Harriet Tubman Park, Columbus Avenue and Pembrook Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Harriet Tubman Memorial Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscriptions on back of relief: Step On Board, Harriet Ross Tubman, 1820 – 1913, Go Down Moses, Way Down in Egypt’s Land, Tell Old Pharoah — Let My People Go. “There are two things I’ve got a right to, and these are death or liberty. One or another I mean to have. No one will take me back alive.”—Harriet Tubman “The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism.” —Frederick Douglass “Tell my brothers to be always watching unto prayer, and when the good old ship of Zion comes along, to be ready to step aboard.”—Harriet Tubman “She expected deliverance when she prayed, unless the Lord had ordered otherwise.” —Sarah Bradford Inscription on bronze plaque: For the Adornment and Benefit of Boston. The design, fabrication, and installation of the memorials at Harriet Tubman park were made possible through the efforts of the United South End Settlements with funding support from the New England Foundation for the Arts, George B. Henderson Foundation, the Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund, a public charitable trust administered by the Trust Office of the City of Boston. The art piece ’Step on Board’ was designed by artist Fern Cunningham in 1999, and ’Emancipation’ was designed by artist Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller in 1913. The park is maintained by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with the friends of Harriet Tubman Park, 2000. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 120 x 84 in. (304.8 x 213.36 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Pink granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. George B. Henderson Foundation. “Special Projects: Harriet Tubman Sculpture & Park.” Accessed March 19, 2018. http://thehendersonfoundation.com/harriet_tubman_sculpture_park.htm. Friend's of the Harriet Tubman Park. "Harriet Tubman Park." Accessed January 29, 2026. https://tubmanboston.org/#visit">https://tubmanboston.org/#visit. Ater, Renée. Remaking Race and History: The Sculpture of Meta Warrick Fuller. University of California Press, 2010. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bas-relief Bible bronze figurative granite inscription map portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e10c796c801262bb4184360a77e032c6.jpg d1ff6caa212e2148ae341c9737a76c87 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/707b09bba790b0f2f0e41ad180b18211.jpg d9729b049e5387f67b2fd40d79a2fe83 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/044c3b6cc65200d16f2956be7b2f6fba.jpg 06be1b452889f2a601b7803941685e69 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/4d38ed4e88c2f879841f19ca6b6758ca.jpg 663b650953797666e78cee7bcbea795f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Harriet Tubman (first cast) (Mesa, Arizona) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Arizona--Mesa Freedom Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The monument depicts Harriet Tubman leading a young African American boy by her left hand and holding a long walking stick in her right. She wears a brimmed hat, a long-sleeve shirt with a shawl wrapped around her neck, and a flowing skirt. As they walk, Tubman peers kindly at the boy, who gazes back at her. The boy wears a vest, long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and laced shoes. Both figures are shown in mid-stride. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DeDecker, Jane, 1961- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs: <a href="https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMNZ71_Harriet_Tubman_Mesa_Arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waymaking</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1995 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Las Sendas Community Association, 7900 East Eagle Crest Drive, Mesa, Arizona, 85207, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Harriet Tubman Children’s Parke, Las Sendas, E. Saddleback and Eagle Crest Drive, Mesa, Arizona, 85207, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on back: "Children if you are tired, keep going. If you're hungry, keep going. If you're scared, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going." Harriet Tubman Extent The size or duration of the resource. 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Las Sendas Is Home. “Las Sendas Park Statues.” Accessed March 19, 2018. http://www.lassendasishome.com/statues/. Wander Woman Project. “Harriet Tubman Statues by Jane DeDecker Across the US.” Accessed May 25, 2020. https://wanderwomenproject.com/places/harriet-tubman-statues-by-jane-dedecker-across-the-us/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad<a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/exhibits/show/commemorating-harriet-tubman" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a> Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Relation A related resource Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bronze figurative inscription portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/5c9b800bd6480715ba91e2dea5049961.jpeg e8ca09c38aed8517483a725f3b9b970d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Harriet Tubman (second cast) (Gainesville, Georgia) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom Georgia--Gainsville Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The monument depicts Harriet Tubman leading a young African American boy by her left hand and holding a long walking stick in her right. She wears a brimmed hat, a long-sleeve shirt with a shawl wrapped around her neck, and a flowing skirt. As they walk, Tubman peers kindly at the boy, who gazes back at her. The boy wears a vest, long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and laced shoes. Both figures are shown in mid-stride. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DeDecker, Jane, 1961- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://update.brenau.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/IMG_0007.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brenau University</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1997 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Brenau University, 500 Washington St SE, Gainesville, Georgia, 30501, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Thurmond McRae Lecture Hall, Brenau University, 625 Academy Street, Gainesville, Georgia, 30501, United States Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Harriet Tubman and Child Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on back: "Children if you are tired, keep going. If you're hungry, keep going. If you're scared, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going." Harriet Tubman Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. First cast: <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harriet Tubman, Las Sendas, Mesa, Arizona</a> Extent The size or duration of the resource. 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Wander Woman Project. "Harriet Tubman Statues by Jane DeDecker Across the US." Accessed May 25, 2020. https://wanderwomenproject.com/places/harriet-tubman-statues-by-jane-dedecker-across-the-us/. Vision 2020 Public Arts. "Harriet Tubman and Child." Accessed May 25, 2020. https://www.2030art.com/project-02 (site discontinued). Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bronze figurative inscription portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2c2977390aefc2e66296e96b2719c5a2.jpeg e720bc4638ac33dbc4ea2660cc5e8d81 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Harriet Tubman (third cast) (Little Rock, Arkansas) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Arkansas--Little Rock Freedom Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The monument depicts Harriet Tubman leading a young African American boy by her left hand and holding a long walking stick in her right. She wears a brimmed hat, a long-sleeve shirt with a shawl wrapped around her neck, and a flowing skirt. As they walk, Tubman peers kindly at the boy, who gazes back at her. The boy wears a vest, long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and laced shoes. Both figures are shown in mid-stride. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DeDecker, Jane, 1961- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://locate.publicartarchive.org/art/Harriet-Tubman?ib=ext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Art Archive</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dr. Dean Kumpuris, Little Rock Board of Directors, City of Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas; John Kinkade, National Sculptors’ Guild at Columbine Gallery, Little Rock, Arkansas; and Peggy and Haskell L. Dickinson (donors), Little Rock, Arkansas. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Little Rock, 500 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 764 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on back: "Children if you are tired, keep going. If you're hungry, keep going. If you're scared, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going." Harriet Tubman Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. First cast: <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harriet Tubman, Las Sendas, Mesa, Arizona</a> Extent The size or duration of the resource. 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Concrete base Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Public Art Archive. “Harriet Tubman, Little Rock, Arkansas.” Accessed March 19, 2018. https://locate.publicartarchive.org/art/Harriet-Tubman?ib=ext. Peacock, Leslie Newell. “Forever, Sculpture: Artwork and a City Director, Carve Out a Special Place along Little Rock’s Riverfront.” Arkansas Times, June 15, 2017. Accessed March 19, 2018. https://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/forever-sculpture/Content?oid=7409126. Wander Woman Project. “Harriet Tubman Statues by Jane DeDecker Across the US.” Accessed May 25, 2020. https://wanderwomenproject.com/places/harriet-tubman-statues-by-jane-dedecker-across-the-us/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bronze figurative inscription portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/bea4fd6c8fd11359bb9b8261ac73862a.jpeg ccf1202a1e5665d2c517b022793457a6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Harriet Tubman (fourth cast) (Ypsilanti, Michigan) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom Michigan--Ypsilanti Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The monument depicts Harriet Tubman leading a young African American boy by her left hand and holding a long walking stick in her right. She wears a brimmed hat, a long-sleeve shirt with a shawl wrapped around her neck, and a flowing skirt. As they walk, Tubman peers kindly at the boy, who gazes back at her. The boy wears a vest, long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and laced shoes. Both figures are shown in mid-stride. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DeDecker, Jane, 1961- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Harriet_Tubman_Ypsilanti_Michigan.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikimedia Commons</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 21, 2006 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Friends of Ypsilanti District Library, Ypsilanti, Michigan; Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority, Ypsilanti, Michigan; and Pfizer, Inc., Ypsilanti, Michigan Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Ypsilanti District Library, 229 West Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Ypsilanti District Library, 229 West Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque on front of statue: Harriet Tubman, 1820-1913. Led slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad earning her the name of ‘Moses of Her People.’ Bronze statue created by Jane DeDecker and installed in 2006. Inscription on back: "Children if you are tired, keep going. If you're hungry, keep going. If you're scared, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going." Harriet Tubman Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. First cast: <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harriet Tubman, Las Sendas, Mesa, Arizona</a> Extent The size or duration of the resource. 68.4 in. (173.736 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Ypsilanti District Library. "Library Plaza." Accessed March 18, 2018. https://www.ypsilibrary.org/about/visit/ydl-michigan/library-plaza/. Wander Woman Project. "Harriet Tubman Statues by Jane DeDecker Across the US." Accessed May 25, 2020. https://wanderwomenproject.com/places/harriet-tubman-statues-by-jane-dedecker-across-the-us/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bronze figurative inscription portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/b409a3fa1de8c19d2fe6c0e15cd3f089.jpg 59a7274c03aae521125711073a56e297 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Underground Railroad Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The memorial and monuments in this collection are dedicated to the Underground Railroad, an organized network of routes and safe houses that assisted freedom seekers [enslaved people] on their journeys northward. The Underground Railroad was part of the larger movement for the abolition of slavery in the United States. The movement to abolish slavery was a complicated political movement that, at its core, was driven by the resistance and activism of enslaved Black people and freedmen and women abolitionists. Historian Manisha Sinha explores the history of American abolition, including the Underground Railroad in The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition (2016).  Although Harriet Tubman is the most famous conductor in the Underground Railroad, she is not the subject of the memorials featured in this collection (see the collection on this site, <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/collections/show/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Abolitionists</a>, to view works specifically dedicated to her life and work). Rather the monuments and memorials featured here, such as Ed Dwight's <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gateway to Freedom: International Memorial to the Underground Railroad</a>, highlight other prominent conductors, as well as celebrate the fortitude and bravery of the freedom seekers as they made the perilous journey north. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 168 x 336 in. (426.72 x 853.44 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memorial to the Underground Railroad (Battle Creek, Michigan) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom Fugitive slaves--United States Michigan--Battle Creek Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Hussey, Erastus, 1800-1889 Hussey, Sarah Bowen, 1808-1899 Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dwight, Ed, 1933- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Underground_Railroad_sculpture.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikimedia Commons</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 24, 1993 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Glenn A. Cross Estate, Battle Creek, Michigan. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource W. K. Kellogg Foundation, 1 Michigan Avenue East, Battle Creek, Michigan, 49017, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Kellogg House Park, 2-10 N Monroe Street, Battle Creek, Michigan, 49017, United States Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Underground Railroad Sculpture; Underground Railroad Monument Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1993 Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque: Memorial to the Underground Railroad. From the 1830s to the 1861, thousands of slaves in the southern United States courageously escaped northward to freedom to what became known as the Underground Railroad. Along this secret network, ‘conductors’ like Battle Creek’s Erastus and Sarah Hussey, whose likenesses are captured in this memorial, took great personal risks to ensure the safety of escaping slaves. Harriet Tubman, known as the Black Moses, was a national heroine of this epic struggle and is depicted leading another brave family away from the shackles of slavery. This memorial honors the Underground Railroad and is dedicated to the strength of the human spirit in the quest for freedom. Ed Dwight, Sculptor. Denver, Colorado. 1993. This sculpture was made possible by a gift from the Glenn A. Cross Estate and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 168 x 336 in. (426.72 x 853.44 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Detroit1701.org. “Battle Creek Underground Railroad Sculpture.” Accessed March 19, 2018. http://detroit1701.org/Battle%20Creek%20Underground%20RR%20Sculpture.html. Glesner, Anthony Patrick. "Laura Haviland: Neglected Heroine of the Underground Railroad." Michigan Historical Review 21, no. 1 (Spring 1995): 19-48. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Description An account of the resource At the front of the monument are full-size statues of Erastus Hussey and Harriet Tubman. On the left, Erastus sports mutton-chop whiskers and is dressed a long coat and trousers. He gestures behind him to Sarah Hussey who holds a lantern in her left hand and gestures towards an open doorway--two women enter the door including one who holds a baby. The doorway represents a secret entry into the Hussey's home, a stop on the Underground Railroad in Michigan. Slightly behind Sarah's extended right arm, a man carries a banjo and a load of belongings on his shoulder. Behind the man steps a young boy who grasps a dog on a rope. Behind the boy, is a bas-relief that depicts a wagon drawn by two horses. On the right of the monument, stands a figure of Tubman with a walking stick in her right hand as she gestures behind her towards a group of freedom seekers walking through a woods including a young boy carrying a bed roll, a woman with head wrap, and a man in a hat, coat and trousers who grasps a young child on his back. A bas relief shows a row boat coming ashore while a wagon awaits the freedom seekers on the shoreline. References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bas-relief bronze figurative lantern https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/0f9ba80ef5520e7b9e1f3db9f9a38baf.jpg f19003e37716254fe4272f60c88575c3 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/587dab8e7e5d99904291a2a52f97c9de.jpg a7cb96cd83f6668ef6e230c2e80fd1b7 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/36375465d7c8a9fde1385e3239cf87f0.jpg d9b2c8bac0dce89ab8f912b29e4dfcb9 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/c0041a84844c6aa36e36233998dad586.jpg 17c209c871d4482f3f5977a05d6de54c https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/354ad2035ee2741fabb8a4a76d5e516d.jpg 822f884bed7fbb8761fc7941faa45dea https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2d02639e9b652b709fd150ede95e76c6.jpg 94087040a71eb686bfa981a9229d3fee https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/080828b934b3a224603eede407034254.jpg 2855abd857d9b9616c40e1dface330fa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 78 in. (198.12 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Harriet Ross Tubman Memorial (Bristol, Pennsylvania) Subject The topic of the resource <subject topic="" br=""></subject>Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom Pennsylvania--Bristol Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The single bronze figure of Harriet Tubman stands atop a black granite plinth. Tubman wears a coat, haversack slung over her right shoulder, and a pistol at her waist. Tubman's right arm is raised to the sky as she points her right hand toward the North Star. The statue of Tubman sits at the center of eleven black granite columns inscribed with edifying phrases including: Hope is Another Form of Freedom; We Choose Inclusion Not Exclusion; Our Town is America the Beautiful; We Stand Together; Liberty and Justice For All; Move Forward; Amalgamate the Community; Freedom Will Prevail; Unity is the Way. Signed by the artist: James L. Gafgen, 2005. Foundry stamp: Art Research Enterprises: The Art Foundry. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gafgen, James L., 1939-2019 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 24, 2006 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource William H. Smith (Design); Sydney L. Taylor and the African-American Historical and Cultural Society of Bucks County; The Bucks County Committee For Interracial Harmony; State of Pennsylvania; Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bristol. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Bristol Township, 2501 Bath Road, Bristol, Pennsylvania, 19007, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Bristol Lions Park, 150 Basin Park, Bristol, Pennsylvania, 19007, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on base of sculpture: Harriet Ross Tubman Inscription on bronze plaque: Harriet Ross Tubman. Abolitionist-American Hero. Circa 1820-1913. Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in 1849. She fled to Philadelphia where, as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, she made 19 sorties into the South, liberating over 300 slaves. Ms. Tubman also served as a spy and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War. Harriet Tubman—Authentic American Hero Ten granite columns with inscriptions (clockwise from base of sculpture): Hope is Another Form of Freedom; We Choose Inclusion Not Exclusion; Our Town is America the Beautiful; We Stand Together; Liberty and Justice For All; Move Forward; Amalgamate the Community; Freedom Will Prevail; Unity is the Way. Ten stone markers: Names of old African American families in Bristol Extent The size or duration of the resource. 78 in. (198.12 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Green granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Waymarking.com. “Harriet Tubman-Lions Park-Bristol, PA.” Statues of Historic Figures. Accessed, March 21, 2018. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3JK9_Harriet_Tubman_Lions_Park_Bristol_PA. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Date Created Date of creation of the resource. Signed: 2006 black granite bronze columns figurative pistol portrait https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/989d349cf2e301dd21d20cfc9f7beb5d.jpg 2c7858ee36cb5b304d288ff6e9c4c428 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/54426bbfb208b19269b2d79798c030bc.jpg 5f78918b3875ccb0fa96e912472f8fdc https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/eb0638026bf1f2ed104459a9098dabf7.jpg ce75e67b14c4d5e3509f303b2be7d4ba https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/fb86b751919b51a900f33f9e123fc4b4.jpg 94cc8e134f691cab4a1c496d9803dba5 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/a6eb5d2eacb31a391d4a7341c7a00e64.jpg b2e14c5df42060324820be1d03aa01db https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1f7d416092ce8b95188fbc2d184bc5f9.jpg 2f7e9b9a704c303b5f17ce307fb48c39 https://slaverymonuments.org/files/original/9c976699c313d348774665198cda1e40.jpg 60c4006cc34b06cef494ed161bf5fb7a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 84 in. (213.36 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Harriet Tubman (Salisbury, Maryland) Subject The topic of the resource <psubject topic="" br=""></psubject>Subject (Topic) Abolitionists--United States Freedom Maryland--Salisbury Public art Public sculpture Slavery--Maryland Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The bronze statue of Harriet Tubman is placed on a concrete base. Tubman wears a nineteenth-century inspired dress that she lifts with her left hand, creating a rippling effect in the bronze cloth. On her left shoulder sits a saw-whet owl, at her left foot rests a rabbit. She extends her right arm into the air, perpendicular to her body with her palm extending outwards. A Maryland blue crab and ten seashells are sculpted into the base of the monument. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hill, James, 1945- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 22, 2009 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Salisbury University (funder); Students assisting with the project included Mike Benson, Jason Bromley, Jen Drake, Sarah Halcot, Christopher Hill, Robbie Johnson, Sam Jones, Diana Mosteller, Keely Patton, Tom Ruch, Dan Stachurski, Phillip Taylor and Tom Wright. SU faculty emeritus Gerry Patt Jr. helped with the sculpture’s casting. Faculty emerita Marie Cavallaro documented the procedure. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, Maryland, 21801, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Teacher Education and Technology Center, Salisbury University, S. Salisbury Boulevard (BUS. 13), Salisbury, Maryland, 21801, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on bronze plaque: Harriet Tubman. C. 1821-1913. ‘The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism,’ wrote fellow abolitionist and Eastern Shore native Frederick Douglass of Harriet Tubman. A Civil War nurse, scout, spy, military strategist and early women’s suffragist, the ‘Moses of her people’ freed hundreds of slaves via the Underground Railroad. With the support of the Salisbury University community, sculptor James Hill and his students realized this work in 2009, with the hope that her story will continue to inspire courage and action in the pursuit of human rights. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 84 in. (213.36 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Concrete Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Press Releases. “New SU Sculpture Honors Harriet Tubman.” News. Salisbury University. September 22, 2009. Assessed March 21, 2018. http://www.salisbury.edu/news/article.html?id=3995. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Harriet Tubman Statue Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad bird bronze figurative portrait seashell