On February 10th, 2020, in the capitol’s Old House Chamber, the same room the Maryland emancipation took place in November 1864, the statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were dedicated. The sculptures depict them as they would have looked in 1864 when witnessing the ratification of a new constitution that abolished slavery in Maryland.
The room was restored to the 19th-century era, showcasing exhibitions of Maryland during and after the civil war. Ivan Schwartz, from StudioEIS, created the statues; it is the same studio that created Anne Frank’s sculpture in New Orleans.
Tubman and Douglass were born enslaved on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, escaped to freedom, and became national leaders working to abolish slavery and advocating equal rights and women’s suffrage.
There are many differences between the leaders; while Douglass was a well-known author, orator, and public figure, Tubman worked behind the scenes, assisting many individuals to their freedom privately.
Tubman’s statue is one of the first statues of black women that stands inside a state Capitol building. In November 2022, Nellie Stone Johnson’s statue was dedicated to the Minnesota Capitol.
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