When was Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park created?
In 2013 the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument was created through presidential proclaimation. Congress created Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Maryland in December 2014.
What's the difference between a national historical park and a national monument?
The biggest difference is in how these National Park Service units are created. Congress creates national parks through legislation. National Monuments are created through presidential proclaimation authorized under the Antiquities Act of 1906. There is no difference in legal standing between a national historical park; both are administered by the same lawsand/or regulations.
Are both the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument managed differently?
The national historical park and national monument are one in the same while the management of this single unit differ. The national historical park administers the park visitor center and the national park service property, the Jacob Jackson Home Site. The national monument is federal land that is authorized by the National Park Service to conduct and allow for archeological surveys and research, except for private land that falls within the boundary.
Are there any unique partnerships that the park is engaged relating to management?
Yes. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad visitor center is co-managed by the National Park Service and Maryland State Parks. This “partnership park” is conducted through a cooperative agreement. Both agencies conduct visitor services and programs for the public.
Where can I stamp my National Park Passport?
The passport stamps are in the America's National Parks gift shop located inside the visitor at 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622
The legislation creating Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad NHP refers to a legislative map; please refer to this map for the "Park Boundary & Private Property Information" FAQ's below.
NPS Image
Park Boundary and Private Property Information
The legislation creating Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad NHP refers to a legislative map; please refer to the legislative map image above for the following FAQ's.
What areas are included within the national historical park boundary?
The park includes portions of Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot counties in Maryland. It is the area where Harriet Tubman was born and lived until she emancipated herself in 1849. The legislation creating Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad NHP (shown in the map linked above) depicts the boundaries of the national monument, the national historical park, and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The area hatched in green is the 480-acre Jacob Jackson Home Site which is also part of the park. The areas shown in red hatch lines are “authorized acquisition boundaries” identified for their connection to Tubman and the Underground Railroad, and are the only areas where the NPS is authorized to acquire by willing sellers, or through donation or exchange as authorized by the park’s legislation (P.L. 113-291).
Which land within the national historical park does the National Park Service administer?
Currently, the only property that the NPS administers is the 480-acre Jacob Jackson Home Site, the home of a free African man who delivered a message for Tubman when she was returning to guide her brothers to freedom.
How does the National Park Service acquire land within the park boundary?
The legislation authorizing Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park identifies specific properties associated with Harriet Tubman’s story that the National Park Service is authorized too and may acquire in the future. No private land within “authorized acquisition areas” may be acquired by condemnation; By law, the National Park Service acquires land within the area identified on legislative maps; land within this area may only be acquired by purchase with willing sellers, or through donation or exchange.
Why does the legislated boundary for the national monument cover so much land if the federal government isn’t interested in owning all of it?
The boundary was drawn to include a large landscape because it is an area well known to Harriet Tubman. The scale of the boundary helps to interpret both her story and the story of the Underground Railroad. Most of the land within the boundary will remain in private hands. Private property owners retain rights to their property. National Park Service does not regulate land uses or activities such as hunting, fishing, or farming on private lands within the boundary that falls within the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
Is hunting and fishing allowed in the park?
Consistent with National Park Service laws and policies, hunting and fishing is not allowed on the 480-acre Jacob Jackson home site that is administered by the national historical site.
