Harriet Tubman

The sculpture reflects accounts of how Tubman's labor included trapping muskrats in the marshes of the Chesapeake Bay — doing that work barefoot, even in ...

Tubman and many of those whom she later helped to freedom knew what the region had to offer to keep them fed and safe. Tubman learned how to find food in the natural environment, navigate by the stars, read the landscape and protect herself from the elements. Becoming a naturalist was vital to the survival of Tubman and many other African Americans, whether enslaved, escaping or free. The muskrat industry in Maryland consisted of trapping, harvesting and capturing the aquatic rodents. She was a child forced to endure risks from the harsh conditions and from the animals. Tubman, who was born enslaved in 1822, was first put to work at age 5 checking muskrat traps in the cold winter waters of Dorchester County.