Suffragist and abolitionist Harriet Tubman still center of attention in centennial of her death

The politics of the Harriet Tubman historic site in Auburn, New York becoming a national park is very much in the news. Since 2013 is the centennial year of Tubman’s death, there is considerable interest in this subject that was compounded when U.S. President Obama visited Seneca Falls, NY in August and then stayed overnight only a few miles from the Tubman home and museum without visiting it. The no-show ruffled some feathers, while others were more philosophical about the event. The Auburn, NY Harriet Tubman historic site is located in the “Cradle” of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. which is located in the Finger Lakes region of New York. A bill is in the U.S. Congress to make Tubman historic sites in NYS and Maryland one national park. The politics of this possibility are highlighted in these two accounts by Marguerite Kearns and Olivia Twine in New York History: Article #1. Article #2. Kearns and Twine can be found on LetsRockTheCradle.com

Photo: Hospital building on the Harriet Tubman historic site in Auburn, NY.