Harriet Tubman: Legends and Literature

While Harriet Tubman has served as an inspirational figure for generations, her story has been distorted and altered according to how others have chosen to portray her. Writers and other stewards of American cultural memory have gradually constructed a mythology surrounding Tubman that often dismisses certain aspects of her life while embellishing or falsifying others.

The exhibition Harriet Tubman: Legends and Literature honors the activist and abolitionist on the 200th anniversary of her birth. Visitors can view written works from the 19th and 20th centuries that feature Tubman while reflecting on the depictions of a woman whose history is often obscured by fantasy.

The exhibition is on view September 6 - December 16 in the Lincoln Exhibition Case, which is located outside the Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library. It can be viewed during Morris Library’s operating hours. The exhibition is also available online.

Admission is free. Please observe the University’s current COVID-19 health and safety protocols when visiting.