I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1078 
To establish the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New 
York, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Histor-
ical Park in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 13, 2009 
Mr. ARCURI (for himself, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Mr. KRATOVIL, Mr. 
ACKERMAN, Mr. BACA, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP of New 
York, 
Ms. 
CORRINE
BROWN
of Florida, Mr. CAPUANO, Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CLAY, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. 
CONYERS, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 
DONNELLY of Indiana, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. HASTINGS of 
Florida, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HOYER, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. 
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. LEE of California, 
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mrs. MALONEY, 
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Mr. MASSA, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. MEEKS 
of New York, Mr. MELANCON, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Ms. MOORE of 
Wisconsin, Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut, Mr. NADLER of New York, Ms. 
NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. REYES, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. 
SCHIFF, Mr. SHULER, Mr. SIRES, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. 
TOWNS, Mr. WATT, and Mr. WAXMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park 
in Auburn, New York, and the Harriet Tubman Under-
ground Railroad National Historical Park in Caroline, 
Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, and for 
other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Harriet Tubman Na-
tional Historical Park and Harriet Tubman Underground 
Railroad National Historical Park Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) Harriet Tubman (born Araminta ‘‘Minty’’ 
Ross)— 
(A) was born into slavery in Maryland 
around 1822; 
(B) married John Tubman at age 25; 
(C) endured through her youth and young 
adulthood the hardships of enslaved African- 
Americans; and 
(D) boldly emancipated herself from bond-
age in 1849; 
(2) not satisfied with attaining her own free-
dom, Harriet Tubman— 
(A) returned repeatedly for more than 10 
years to the places of her enslavement in Dor-
chester and Caroline Counties, Maryland; and 
(B) under the most adverse circumstances 
led away many family members and acquaint-
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ances to freedom in the northern region of the 
United States and Canada; 
(3) Harriet Tubman was— 
(A) called ‘‘Moses’’ by African-Americans 
and white abolitionists; and 
(B) acknowledged as one of the most 
prominent ‘‘conductors’’ of the resistance that 
came to be known as the ‘‘Underground Rail-
road’’; 
(4) in 1868, Frederick Douglass wrote that, 
with the exception of John Brown, Douglass knew of 
‘‘no one who has willingly encountered more perils 
and hardships to serve our enslaved people’’ than 
Harriet Tubman; 
(5) during the Civil War, Harriet Tubman— 
(A) was recruited to assist Union troops as 
a nurse, a scout, and a spy; and 
(B) served in Virginia, Florida, and South 
Carolina, where she is credited with facilitating 
the rescue of hundreds of enslaved people; 
(6) Harriet Tubman established in Auburn, 
New York, one of the first incorporated homes for 
aged African-Americans in the United States, which, 
10 years before her death, she bequeathed to the Af-
rican Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; 
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(7) there are nationally significant resources 
comprised of relatively unchanged landscapes associ-
ated with the early life of Harriet Tubman in Caro-
line, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland; 
(8) there are nationally significant resources re-
lating to Harriet Tubman in Auburn, New York, in-
cluding— 
(A) the residence of Harriet Tubman; 
(B) the Tubman Home for the Aged; 
(C) the Thompson Memorial AME Zion 
Church; and 
(D) the final resting place of Harriet Tub-
man in Fort Hill Cemetery; 
(9) in developing interpretive programs, the Na-
tional Park Service would benefit from increased 
scholarship of the African-American experience dur-
ing the decades preceding the Civil War and 
throughout the remainder of the 19th century; 
(10) it is fitting and proper that the nationally 
significant resources relating to Harriet Tubman be 
preserved for future generations as units of the Na-
tional Park System so that people may understand 
and appreciate the contributions of Harriet Tubman 
to the history and culture of the United States; and 
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(11) in addition to the properties and resources 
within the boundary of the Harriet Tubman Under-
ground Railroad National Historical Park, other as-
sociated 
preserved 
landscapes 
(including 
the 
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge) are essential 
to the visual, historical, and cultural experiences of 
the Historical Park. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to preserve and promote stewardship of the 
resources in Auburn, New York, and Caroline, Dor-
chester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, relating to 
the life and contributions of Harriet Tubman; 
(2) to provide for partnerships with the African 
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the States of New 
York and Maryland, political subdivisions of the 
States, the Federal Government, local governments, 
nonprofit organizations, and private property owners 
for resource protection, research, interpretation, edu-
cation, and public understanding and appreciation of 
the life and contributions of Harriet Tubman; 
(3) to sustain agricultural and forestry land 
uses in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, 
Maryland, that remain evocative of the landscape 
during the life of Harriet Tubman; and 
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(4) to establish a competitive grants program 
for scholars of African-American history relating to 
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CHURCH.—The term ‘‘Church’’ means the 
Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church located in 
Auburn, New York. 
(2) HISTORICALLY
BLACK
COLLEGE
OR
UNI-
VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or 
university’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B 
institution’’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 
(3) PREDOMINANTLY
BLACK
INSTITUTION.— 
The term ‘‘Predominantly Black Institution’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 499A(c) of the 
Higher 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
1099e(c)). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(5) VISITOR CENTER.—The term ‘‘Visitor Cen-
ter’’ means the Harriet Tubman Underground Rail-
road State Park Visitor Center to be constructed 
under section 5(d). 
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SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF HARRIET TUBMAN NATIONAL 
HISTORICAL PARK. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—On the execution of ease-
ments with the Church, the Secretary shall— 
(1) establish the Harriet Tubman National His-
torical Park (referred to in this section as the ‘‘His-
torical Park’’) in the City of Auburn, New York, as 
a unit of the National Park System; and 
(2) publish notice of the establishment of the 
Historical Park in the Federal Register. 
(b) BOUNDARY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Historical Park shall be 
comprised of structures and properties associated 
with the Harriet Tubman home, the Tubman Home 
for the Aged, the Church, and the Rectory, as gen-
erally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Harriet Tub-
man National Historical Park—Proposed Bound-
ary’’, numbered llll, and dated lll. 
(2) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map described 
in paragraph (1) shall be available for public inspec-
tion in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service. 
(c) ACQUISITION OF LAND.—The Secretary may ac-
quire from willing sellers, by donation, purchase with do-
nated or appropriated funds, or exchange, land or inter-
ests in land within the boundary of the Historical Park. 
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(d) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may 
provide grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements 
with— 
(1) the Church for— 
(A) historic preservation of, rehabilitation 
of, research on, and maintenance of properties 
within the boundary of the Historical Park; and 
(B) interpretation of the Historical Park; 
(2) the Fort Hill Cemetery Association for 
maintenance and interpretation of the gravesite of 
Harriet Tubman; and 
(3) the State of New York, any political sub-
divisions of the State, the City of Auburn, and non-
profit organizations for— 
(A) preservation and interpretation of re-
sources relating to Harriet Tubman in the City 
of Auburn, New York; 
(B) conducting research, including archae-
ological research; and 
(C) providing for stewardship programs, 
education, public access, signage, and other in-
terpretive devices at the Historical Park for in-
terpretive purposes. 
(e) INTERPRETATION.—The Secretary may provide 
interpretive tours to sites located outside the boundaries 
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