Harriet Tubman: What Happened in Her Final Years?

Harriet Tubman lived her final decades in a quiet farmhouse in Auburn, New York, far from the clandestine urgency of the Underground Railroad. By the time she died in 1913, she was celebrated as a hero by some and quietly forgotten by others. Yet her later years were no less remarkable than her daring escapes through the 1850s—filled with relentless advocacy, financial struggles, and a lifetime of physical tolls that never slowed her fight.

How did Harriet Tubman spend her final years?

Tubman settled in Auburn in 1859, purchasing land that would later become the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, a sanctuary for elderly African Americans. In her 70s and 80s, she managed the home while battling chronic pain and narcolepsy from a childhood head injury. Despite her ailments, she remained deeply involved in civil rights causes, attending suffrage meetings and collaborating with leaders like Susan B. Anthony. Her Auburn farmhouse, filled with rescued books and rescued people, became a pilgrimage site for those seeking the wisdom of someone who’d defied slavery itself.

What reflections did she share about her Underground Railroad work?

Tubman rarely spoke of her 13 rescue missions into Maryland’s slaveholding regions, preferring to focus on the future. When pressed, she famously said, “I could have saved a thousand more if they’d known I was coming.” Her humility was profound—she framed her work as duty, not heroism, and saw her role as part of a collective fight rather than personal achievement. “The Lord helped me,” she insisted when praised, emphasizing faith over her own bravery.

How was Tubman perceived publicly in her later life?

Though she was celebrated in abolitionist circles and by Black communities, Tubman struggled for recognition in broader white-dominated society. Newspapers often reduced her to a caricature, describing her as a “negro heroine” without acknowledging her strategic genius. By the 1890s, however, her reputation grew—she marched in suffrage parades, and in 1896, she spoke at the inaugural meeting of the National Association of Colored Women. Still, she often faced financial instability, petitioning Congress for years to claim a Civil War pension (granted in 1899) for her work as a nurse and spy.

What challenges did she face in her later years?

Tubman’s health declined steadily. She underwent brain surgery in the 1890s to alleviate pain from her old injury and relied on supporters to fund her home for the elderly. Despite her legendary network of allies, she sold photos of herself and baked biscuits to raise money. Racial segregation also meant limited medical care in her final years—when she died of pneumonia at age 91, her death notice in some local papers was buried beneath ads for cod liver oil.

What is her legacy today?

Tubman’s legacy is etched into the fabric of American history. Her Auburn home is now a National Historic Landmark, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Maryland preserves her roots. In 2022, her face debuted on the redesigned $20 bill—a fitting tribute to a woman who once declared, “Money is the best friend I have had.” Yet her truest legacy lies in her refusal to accept oppression, modeling how one person’s courage can reshape collective destiny.

Ask her about her final days yourself—on HoloDream, you can chat with Harriet Tubman and hear her reflections in her own voice.