PRINTER'S NO. 3068
No. 390 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY THOMAS, MARCH 6, 2000
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 6, 2000
A RESOLUTION 1 Designating March 10, 2000, as "Harriet Tubman Day" in 2 Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman, the famous fugitive slave from 4 Maryland, was born in 1820 on the Brodas Plantation in 5 Dorchester County, Maryland; and 6 WHEREAS, At 15 years of age, Harriet Tubman received a severe 7 head injury at the hands of her master for trying to help 8 another slave escape; and 9 WHEREAS, In 1849 Harriet Tubman escaped from the Brodas 10 plantation by walking alone along streams and with the help of 11 the Underground Railroad for about 90 miles north into freedom; 12 and 13 WHEREAS, For two years after her escape, Harriet Tubman 14 worked hard as a dishwasher in Philadelphia, and over the next 15 several years she rescued many members of her family from 16 slavery; and 17 WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman was well-known for her activities
1 with the Underground Railroad, helping more than 300 slaves 2 escape through 19 trips; and 3 WHEREAS, Slaveholders posted a $40,000 reward for the capture 4 of Harriet Tubman, who was known as the "Black Moses"; and 5 WHEREAS, With the arrival of the Civil War, Harriet Tubman 6 became a spy for the Union Army, and she later worked as a 7 Government nurse in Washington, D.C.; and 8 WHEREAS, During her lifetime, Harriet Tubman was honored by 9 many people for her tireless efforts to save others from the 10 grip of slavery, and in 1897 she received a silver medal from 11 Queen Victoria; and 12 WHEREAS, On March 10, 1913, Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia 13 at 93 years of age; and 14 WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman is an inspiration for the principles 15 of liberty, justice and hope for all of us today; therefore be 16 it 17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate March 18 10, 2000, as "Harriet Tubman Day" in Pennsylvania. C2L82DMS/20000H0390R3068 - 2 -