Harriet Tubman, a renowned abolitionist and leader of the Underground Railroad, has been posthumously appointed as a one-star general in the Maryland National Guard, making her the first woman in U.S. history to command an armed military operation during a war.

During a Veterans Day ceremony, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, along with members of the National Guard and Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, awarded Tubman the rank of brigadier general. The event recognized Tubman’s military service to both the U.S. and the state of Maryland.

The ceremony took place at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, where numerous attendees, including Tubman’s descendants, military personnel, community members, and local leaders, gathered. Maj. Gen. Birckhead remarked that the recognition was “long overdue,” referencing a law enacted earlier this year that enables the governor to grant certain posthumous honors.

“Harriet Tubman deserves to be honored forever for risking her life and freedom in the pursuit of justice for the enslaved,” Birckhead stated during the ceremony. “Today, we formally honor her, recognizing her bravery, sacrifices, leadership, and contributions to the nation’s fight for survival.”

Governor Moore declared the event a “great day” not only for Maryland but for the entire country.

Birthed into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia in 1849, where she lived as a free woman. Nevertheless, she returned to Maryland multiple times to rescue her family and others who were enslaved, using the Underground Railroad—a coordinated network created by Black and white abolitionists for safe passage and refuge.

<p”No one has exemplified the phrase ‘leave no one behind’ as Gen. Tubman did,” Moore noted during the ceremony. “No one would have faulted her for leading the abolitionist cause from Philadelphia, but she understood that real work required her to take risks in dangerous places.”

The proclamation was received by Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece, Ernestine “Tina” Martin Wyatt, who highlighted Tubman’s enduring legacy and drew parallels to the sacrifices made by veterans.

“Aunt Harriet was a veteran in her own right,” Wyatt expressed during the ceremony. “She relinquished her own rights to fight for those who were oppressed.”

Who Was Harriet Tubman?

Harriet Tubman, born Araminta “Minty” Ross in March 1822, was one of nine children raised in slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, with her parents.

Starting her labor at around the age of 13, Tubman escaped her bonds at approximately 27. After gaining her freedom, she devoted her life to abolishing slavery.

She returned to Maryland at least 13 times, aiding roughly 70 enslaved individuals in their escape via the Underground Railroad. Captured, she faced severe punishment and a return to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

Admired by northern abolitionists, Tubman became a trusted friend and adviser, earning a position in the Union Army as a scout, spy, nurse, and confidante to generals. Historians recognize her as the first woman to lead a combat regiment during the Civil War.

After the war, Tubman engaged in the women’s suffrage movement, working alongside figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

In 1859, she bought a house in Auburn, New York, where she founded a home for the elderly. Tubman passed away in 1913 and received military honors at her burial site in Fort Hill Cemetery.

Latest Efforts to Honor the Abolitionist Hero

Recognized as a cornerstone of American history, Tubman’s legacy has been memorialized through various national parks, monuments, and historic sites across the nation.

Many educational institutions have adopted her name, including a Chicago elementary school that was renamed in 2022 following revelations that numerous local schools were named after slaveholders or individuals with racist views.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Mint began issuing commemorative coins—$5 gold pieces, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins—to honor Tubman.

This initiative follows a proposal made roughly a decade ago by former President Barack Obama to position Tubman on the $20 bill, a project that faced delays during the Trump administration.