Governor Hogan Proclaims September as the 2nd Annual International Underground Railroad Month

BALTIMORE, MD (August 25, 2020) – Governor Larry Hogan today announced that September would be proclaimed International Underground Railroad Month for the second year in a row. International Underground Railroad Month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad, and all those involved, for its contribution to the eradication of slavery in the United States and as a cornerstone for a more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed.

“Maryland has attractions, historical sites, and programming that recognize the brave men, women, and children who traveled along the Underground Railroad to freedom and those who assisted them,” said Governor Hogan. “While we recognize September as International Underground Railroad Month, every day Maryland honors those who embrace the right to self-determination and freedom.”

Maryland is recognized as the most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination in the world, with significant documented Underground Railroad activity throughout the state.  Visitors can explore and learn about the Underground Railroad history through attractions, museums, guides, and the state’s 85 National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites. International Underground Railroad Month honors all the brave men and women who were involved in the Underground Railroad, including national leaders such as Marylanders Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Josiah Henson, and Henry Highland Garnet.

In September, two significant self-liberation commemorations will be recognized in Maryland - Frederick Douglass’s 182nd self-liberation from Baltimore’s President Street Station on September 3 and the 171st anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s self-liberation from Maryland’s Eastern Shore on September 17.

“We stop on this day to recognize the historic acts of bravery and selflessness carried out by ordinary people, who responded to the cries of enslaved people and with great risk to their own liberty, offered a way of escape from the torment of slavery and the opportunity for a new life,” said Corey Pack, president of the Talbot County Council.

Maryland has the most documented successful escapes utilizing the Underground Railroad and  the most National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites. Visitors can follow in the footsteps of the heroes along the Underground Railroad by traveling along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway or Maryland’s Frederick Douglass Driving Tour, and utilize other interpretive materials, tours, attractions, and guides that enable visitors to travel to the sites and learn about the many freedom seekers and their accomplices.

For more information and to plan the journey along the Underground Railroad, visit https://www.visitmaryland.org/UGRR.

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About Maryland Tourism

The Maryland Office of Tourism is an agency within the Maryland Department of Commerce. Visitors to the state spent $18.6 billion on travel-related expenses in 2019. The Maryland tourism industry also generated $2.6 billion in state and local taxes essentially saving Maryland households $1,175 in annual taxes. The industry provided Marylanders with 150,000 jobs. For more information, go to www.visitmaryland.org