She was buried with full military honors
Harriet Tubman died on 10 March 1913. She had been in poor health for many months. She was old and frail and finally succumbed to pneumonia. Since even Tubman herself couldn’t say when she was born, her age at death will never be known, though it’s likely she was around 88 or even 98 years old. Her Christian faith remained strong until the very end. In fact, her last words, spoken to friends and family gathered around her bed were: “I go to prepare a place for you.”
Some histories note that Tubman was buried with “full military honors”. This is only true. She was, in fact, buried with semi-military honors. She was laid to rest in the Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York. A few months later, the city of Auburn erected a plaque commemorating Tubman’s life and work. To this day, however, there is much disagreement over the wording of the plaque. To some, the use of dialect (“I nebber run my train off de track”), while an accurate representation of how she herself spoke, is disrespectful.
Ever since her death, Tubman’s life has been remembered in a variety of ways. Right across the United States, schools and libraries have been named after her and numerous states erected. Tubman regularly appears towards the top of lists of the Greatest Americans who ever lived. Her supporters have long campaigned to have Tubman’s face on the US $20 bill, though it could be some years before their hopes are realized.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“In Search Of Back Pay For Heroine Of Civil War.” The New York Times, November 2003.
“Harriet Tubman.” National Women’s History Museum.
“Harriet Tubman.” U.S. National Park Service.
“What You Never Knew About Harriet Tubman.” Smithsonian Magazine, June 2017.
“The Life of Harriet Tubman.” New York History Net.
“Harriet Tubman Myths and Facts.” Harriet Tubman Biography.
“Harriet Tubman.” The Library of Congress, America’s Library.