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106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2345

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study

concerning the preservation and public use of sites associated with Harriet Tubman located in Auburn, New York, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 4, 2000

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. MOYNIHAN) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special

resource study concerning the preservation and public

use of sites associated with Harriet Tubman located in

Auburn, New York, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Harriet Tubman Spe5 cial Resource Study Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that—
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1 (1) Harriet Tubman is an important figure in

2 the history of the United States, and is most famous

3 for her role as a ‘‘conductor’’ on the Underground

4 Railroad, in which, as a fugitive slave, she helped

5 hundreds of enslaved individuals to escape to free6 dom before and during the Civil War;

7 (2) during the Civil War, Harriet Tubman

8 served the Union Army as a guide, spy, and nurse;

9 (3) after the Civil War, Harriet Tubman was

10 an advocate for the education of black children;

11 (4) Harriet Tubman settled in Auburn, New

12 York, in 1857, and lived there until 1913;

13 (5) while in Auburn, Harriet Tubman dedicated

14 her life to caring selflessly and tirelessly for people

15 who could not care for themselves, was an influential

16 member of the community and an active member of

17 the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, and

18 established a home for the elderly;

19 (6) Harriet Tubman was a friend of William

20 Henry Seward, who served as the Governor of and

21 a Senator from the State of New York and as Sec22 retary of State under President Abraham Lincoln;

23 (7) William Henry Seward defied the decision

24 of the Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60

25 U.S. 393 (1857) (holding that African Americans
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1 were not citizens of the United States) by selling a

2 house in Auburn to Harriet Tubman;

3 (8) 4 sites in Auburn that directly relate to

4 Harriet Tubman and are listed on the National Reg5 ister of Historic Places are—

6 (A) Harriet Tubman’s home;

7 (B) the Harriet Tubman Home for the

8 Aged;

9 (C) the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion

10 Church; and

11 (D) Harriet Tubman’s grave at Fort Hill

12 Cemetery; and

13 (9) the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged

14 and William Henry Seward’s home in Auburn are

15 national historic landmarks.

16 SEC. 3. STUDY CONCERNING SITES IN AUBURN, NEW YORK,

17 ASSOCIATED WITH HARRIET TUBMAN AND

18 WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior shall

20 conduct a special resource study of the national signifi21 cance, feasibility of long-term preservation, and public use

22 of the following sites associated with Harriet Tubman, lo23 cated in Auburn, New York:

24 (1) Harriet Tubman’s home, located at 182

25 South Street.
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1 (2) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged,

2 located at 180 South Street.

3 (3) The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion

4 Church, located at 33 Parker Street.

5 (4) Harriet Tubman’s grave at Port Hill Ceme6 tery, located at 19 Fort Street.

7 (5) William Henry Seward’s home, located at

8 33 South Street.

9 (b) POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL PARK

10 SYSTEM.—The study under subsection (a) shall include an

11 analysis and any recommendations of the Secretary re12 garding the suitability and feasibility of incorporating 1

13 or more of the sites specified in subsection (a) into the

14 National Park System.

15 (c) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the study, the

16 Secretary shall consult with—

17 (1) the Governor of the State of New York;

18 (2) the Mayor of the city of Auburn, New York;

19 (3) the owners of the sites specified in sub20 section (a); and

21 (4) the appropriate representatives of—

22 (A) the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion

23 Church; and

24 (B) the Harriet Tubman Foundation.
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1 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date

2 on which funds are made available for the study under

3 subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a

4 report describing the results of the study.

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