It commemorates the life of former enslaved Harriet Tubman, who became an activist in the Underground Railroad prior to the American Civil War.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument was created by President Barack Obama under the Antiquities Act on March 25, 2013.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park includes sites near Cambridge, Maryland, Windy Hill and Preston, in Dorchester County, Talbot, and Caroline counties, that were significant in Tubman's life.

The NHP was established by the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act FY2015 (Public Law 113–291, December 19, 2014).

[2] Prior to establishment of the National Historical Parks in Maryland and New York, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument was created in Dorchester County, Maryland by President Barack Obama under the Antiquities Act on March 25, 2013.