Harriet Ross Tubman, an American legendary human rights advocate and suffragist, was born enslaved in Dorchester County, Maryland, not far from this site around 1822, and the bird calls, fresh plowed fields, and hum of mosquitos recall the landscape that shaped her life as an enslaved child, young woman, and freedom seeker. She escaped to freedom in 1849 and, using her courage, skills, contacts on the Underground Railroad, and intimate knowledge of the local landscape, returned to lead 13 or more rescue missions that freed at least 70 family members and other enslaved people. To honor her legacy, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources worked with The Conservation Fund and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park on these 17 acres in 2007. In March 2013, President Barack Obama established the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument by executive order under the Antiquities Act of 1906, and the 480-acre Jacob Jackson Homesite was donated to the National Park Service by The Conservation Fund for inclusion in the new monument. In December 2014, Congress created the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, and the Jacob Jackson site became part of this park. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center is jointly managed by the Maryland Park Service and the National Park Service and also serves as headquarters for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program.