CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Maryland state archaeologists are surveying a swampy stretch of Dorchester County land believed to be the 19th-century homestead of Jacob Jackson, a free Black man who played a key role in helping Harriet Tubman's brothers escape slavery.
The Maryland Historical Trust is leading the effort to locate the site, which researchers believe was home to Jackson and his wife, Dinah. Educated and literate, Jackson farmed the land and worked as a veterinarian — carving out a life in a community where free Black people existed between two worlds.
"It's fairly marginal land but it was what he could afford," Maryland Historical Trust Chief Archaeologist Matt Knight said. "To some degree you're isolated and that probably appealed to Jacob Jackson. It probably appealed to the other free blacks in this community because they are cut off from, the outside world somewhat."
Archaeologists search for site tied to Harriet Tubman network
Though free, Jackson was not accepted by many white people in the area. He also carried on a secret and dangerous second life as a spy and informant, helping enslaved people escape.
"Jacob Jackson was taking risk in doing what he was doing," Knight said.
Jackson operated under surveillance by self-appointed postal inspectors who monitored his communications. He worked within a hidden network dedicated to helping enslaved people reach freedom.
"There's this underground network that's trying to spirit people away, but there's also this above ground network of white slave owners who are actively trying to keep the population under control," Knight said.
One Jackson's most consequential acts is known from contemporary writings about Tubman’s life. In 1854 Harriet Tubman's younger brothers were still enslaved and following a failed escape attempt, were set to be sold and sent farther south. Tubman devised a plan and contacted Jackson.
"She sends this coded letter to Jacob Jackson," Knight said.
Jackson understood the message and got word to the brothers to be ready. On Christmas Eve 1854, Tubman arrived and guided them and three others to freedom in the North.
"Jacob Jackson even though he was a free man he was taking a huge risk because you could still be imprisoned you could still have your freedom taken away from you if you were caught engaging in this type of activity," Knight said.
The National Park Service initially led the search for physical evidence at the site, recovering some objects including a coin believed to have possibly been worn for good luck. However, the waterlogged terrain and bad weather cut their project short.
"The park service had had a little bit of difficulty dealing with this terrain out here," Knight said.
The NPS reached out to the Maryland Historical Trust to apply their expertise in working this type of site. Knight and his team are now surveying the land with metal detectors, searching for iron and other materials that could pinpoint where the Jackson homestead once stood.
"We like iron. Iron's good. Nails means structure," Knight said.
Knight said the findings will help fill in a broader chapter of American history.
"Understanding the Jacob Jackson story I think is an important part of piecing together how this network worked," Knight said.
The next step will be to carry out a full archaeological dig, with the hope of surfacing artifacts that played a direct role in the fight for freedom. If you’d like to know more about the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman Museum and work the National Parks is doing, follow these links.
https://www.nps.gov/hatu/learn/hatu-archaeology.htm
https://www.nps.gov/articles/new-beginnings-harriet-tubman-jacob-jackson-eastern-shore.htm#_edn1
You can even read the 1869 account of Harriet Tubman’s life from a digitized copy on the Maryland Library’s website.
https://collections.digitalmaryland.org/digital/collection/doht/id/2/rec/1
