You may be surprised that the iconic beach resort of Cape May has a dark history connected to the Underground Railroad and the Harriet Tubman Museum. All you need to do is look at a map of New Jersey to see Cape May’s location and its proximity to Delaware via a 16-mile boat ride across Delaware Bay. Historians believe that enslaved people would cross the Bay at night to avoid detection and then proceed north.
Although New Jersey was a Union state, it had divided loyalties throughout the Civil War. In the presidential elections of 1860 and 1864, New Jersey did not vote for Abraham Lincoln.
History of the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman
“I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t—I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”
—Harriet Tubman
The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a train. It was a group of Black and White people who coordinated with each other to transport enslaved individuals from the South to Northern states and Canada to freedom. New Jersey passed several laws providing for “gradual emancipation” and was the last Northern state to do so. Gradual emancipation referred to children born of enslaved people after July 4, 1804, who would be granted freedom after attaining the age of 21 for women and 25 for men.
New Jersey was an essential pathway for fugitives to be ushered north by members of the Underground Railroad, taking them to Pennsylvania and New York.
Harriet Tubman Museum
632 Lafayette St., Cape May
Summer Season (mid-Jun to mid-Sep): Open Wed-Sun
Off-Season (mid-Sep to mid-Jun): Open Weekends
Admission $10
Harriet Tubman had a vital connection to the Underground Railroad and Cape May. She was born in Maryland and separated from her family. Her work in the fields and forest made her familiar with the land, and she escaped and found her way to Philadelphia. There, she connected with abolitionist William Still, a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
She became a conductor, successfully leading 19 trips from southern states to the north. Her connection to Cape May came from spending summers working at the hotels as a cook. Cape May was a community where both the southern elite and abolitionists came to enjoy the cooling sea breezes.
The Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May is on a block that was the center of abolitionist activity in Cape May. It included the home of Stephen Smith, a leading Philadelphia abolitionist, a Baptist Church (that housed many runaways), and one of the few hotels that would accept free Black people. Opened in 2020, the museum honors the work of Harriet Tubman not only in the Underground Railroad but also as a spy and military leader during the Civil War.
Underground Railroad Trolley Tour
Tickets available online
90-minute tour, starting at the Washington Mall information booth
Summer Season: Thu mornings
Off-Season: Sat mornings
Cost $25 per person
Cape May MAC offers trolley tours narrating the history of the Underground Railroad in Cape May. Learn about all of the leading abolitionist figures in Cape May who assisted in transporting fugitive freedom-seeking enslaved people north. The tour includes a visit to Mt Zion Cemetery, where many Black Civil War soldiers, enslaved people, and other prominent community members are buried.
Stay in the Historic Carroll Villa Hotel
While immersing yourself in Cape May history, stay in the historic Carroll Villa Hotel. The premises have been welcoming guests since 1882, but you wouldn’t believe that by the updated interior. The Underground Railroad and the Harriet Tubman Museum are not the town’s only museums and historic properties!
The Emlen Physick Estate has been restored to its original glory, and the historic Cold Spring Village is an entire village of 19th-century homes with working shops. Walking around the downtown Cape May historic district, you will gape at the sheer number of glorious original Victorian homes. Oh, and there are beaches, shopping, dozens of chic cafes, elegant restaurants, and other eateries, including our Mad Batter and the Cricket Club!
Photo Credit:
© The Everett Collection via canva.com
© Ivan Smuk via canva.com
