Former home of enslaved people found near Harriet Tubman birthplace

Maryland officials announced Tuesday the discovery of a home where enslaved people lived on the Eastern Shore farm where abolitionist Harriet Tubman was born. Gov. Wes Moore joined local, state and federal officials at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Dorchester County to announce the find. The governor’s office said the home is believed to be that of an enslaved overseer, possibly Jerry Manokey. It follows the April 2021 announcement of the discovery of the home of Ben Ross, Tubman’s father. “Harriet Tubman’s birthplace is sacred ground, and this discovery is part of our ongoing commitment to preserve the legacy of those who lived here,” Moore said in a news release.