[Senate Report 106-440]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 885
106th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 106-440
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HARRIET TUBMAN SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY ACT
_______
September 29, 2000.--Ordered to be printed
Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of September 28
(legislative day, September 22), 2000
_______
Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 2345]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 2345) to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study concerning the
preservation and public use of sites associated with Harriet
Tubman located in Auburn, New York, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Harriet Tubman Special Resource
Study Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) Harriet Tubman was born into slavery on a plantation in
Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1821;
(2) in 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped the plantation on foot,
using the North Star for direction and following a route
through Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania to Philadelphia,
where she gained her freedom;
(3) Harriet Tubman is an important figure in the history of
the United States, and is most famous for her role as a
``conductor'' on the Underground Railroad, in which, as a
fugitive slave, she helped hundreds of enslaved individuals to
escape to freedom before and during the Civil War;
(4) during the Civil War, Harriet Tubman served the Union
Army as a guide, spy, and nurse;
(5) after the Civil War, Harriet Tubman was an advocate for
the education of black children;
(6) Harriet Tubman settled in Auburn, New York, in 1857, and
lived there until 1913;
(7) while in Auburn, Harriet Tubman dedicated her life to
caring selflessly and tirelessly for people who could not care
for themselves, was an influential member of the community and
an active member of the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church,
and established a home for the elderly;
(8) Harriet Tubman was a friend of William Henry Seward, who
served as the Governor of and a Senator from the State of New
York and as Secretary of State under President Abraham Lincoln;
(9) sites in Auburn that directly relate to Harriet Tubman
and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
are--
(A) Harriet Tubman's home;
(B) the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged;
(C) the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church; and
(D) Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged and William
Henry Seward's home in Auburn are national historic
landmarks.
SEC. 3. STUDY CONCERNING SITES ASSOCIATED WITH HARRIET TUBMAN.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a
special resource study of the national significance, feasibility of
long-term preservation, and public use of the following sites
associated with Harriet Tubman:
(1) Harriet Tubman's Birthplace, located on Greenbriar Road,
off of Route 50, in Dorchester County, Maryland.
(2) Bazel Church, located 1 mile South of Greenbriar Road in
Cambridge, Maryland.
(3) Harriet Tubman's home, located at 182 South Street,
Auburn, New York.
(4) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, located at 180
South Street, Auburn, New York.
(5) The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 33
Parker Street, Auburn, New York.
(6) Harriet Tubman's grave at Port Hill Cemetery, located at
19 Fort Street, Auburn, New York.
(7) William Henry Seward's home, located at 33 South Street,
Auburn, New York.
(b) Inclusion of Sites in the National Park System.--The study
under subsection (a) shall include an analysis and any recommendations
of the Secretary concerning the suitability and feasibility of--
(1) designating one or more of the sites specified in
subsection (a) as units of the National Park System; and
(2) establishing a national heritage corridor that
incorporates the sites specified in subsection (a) and any
other sites associated with Harriet Tubman.
(c) Study Guidelines.--In conducting the study authorized by this
Act, the Secretary shall use the criteria for the study of areas for
potential inclusion in the National Park System contained in Section 8
of P.L. 91-383, as amended by Section 303 of the National Park Omnibus
Management Act ((P.L. 105-391), 112 Stat. 3501).
(d) Consultation.--In preparing and conducting the study under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
(1) the Governors of the States of Maryland and New York;
(2) a member of the Board of County Commissioners of
Dorchester County, Maryland;
(3) the Mayor of the city of Auburn, New York;
(4) the owner of the sites specified in subsection (a); and
(5) the appropriate representatives of--
(A) the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church;
(B) the Bazel Church;
(C) the Harriet Tubman Foundation; and
(D) the Harriet Tubman Organization, Inc.
(e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which funds
are made available for the study under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report describing the results of the study.
purpose of the measure
The purpose of S. 2345, as ordered reported, is to direct
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource
study concerning the preservation and public use of sites
associated with Harriet Tubman located in and around Auburn,
New York. and in the State of Maryland.
background and need
Harriet Tubman was an African American woman whose daring
rescues helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom. She became
the most famous leader of the Underground Railroad, which aided
slaves fleeing to the free states or to Canada.
Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in 1849 and went to
Philadelphia via the Underground Railroad. She then vowed to
return to Maryland and help other slaves escape. Tubman made
her first trip back shortly after Congress passed the Fugitive
Slave Act of 1850, which made it a crime to help a runaway
slave. Tubman returned 18 more times during the 1850's and
helped about 300 slaves escape.
In the late 1850's, Tubman met with the radical
abolitionist John Brown, who told her of his plan to free the
slaves. She considered Brown the true liberator of her race.
Soon afterward, Tubman also became active in the women's rights
movement.
In the Civil War, Tubman served as a nurse, scout, and spy
for the Union Army in South Carolina. During one military
campaign, she helped free more than 750 slaves.
After the war, Tubman returned to Auburn, where she helped
raise money for black schools. In 1908, Tubman established a
home in Auburn for elderly and needy blacks that became known
as the Harriet Tubman Home. The people of Auburn erected a
plaque in her honor, and a U.S. postage stamp bearing her
portrait was issued in 1978.
S. 2345 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
special resource study of sites located in Auburn, New York and
in the State of Maryland associated with the life of Harriet
Tubman, and to make recommendations regarding the suitability
and feasibility of including the sites in the National Park
System.
legislative history
S. 2345 was introduced by Senators Schumer and Moynihan on
April 4, 2000. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation held a hearing on S. 2345 on July
27, 2000. At the business meeting on September 20, 2000, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 2345
favorably reported, as amended.
committee recommendation
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on September 20, 2000, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
2345, if amended as described herein.
committee amendment
During the consideration of S. 2345, the Committee adopted
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment made
certain corrections and clarifications to the congressional
findings, added two sites in the State of Maryland to the sites
which are to be studied, and directed that the study be
conducted in accordance with the laws pertaining to the study
of potential units of the National Park System.
section-by-section analysis
Section 1 designates the bill's short title.
Section 2 contains congressional findings.
Section 3(a) requires the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a special resource study of the national significance,
feasibility of long-term preservation, and public use of two
sites in the State of Maryland and five sites in Auburn, New
York associated with the life of Harriet Tubman.
Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to include in the
study recommendations regarding the suitability and feasibility
of incorporating one or more of the sites into the National
Park System. The study must also include an analysis and
recommendations concerning the establishment of a national
heritage corridor that incorporates the sites specified in
subsection (a) and any other sites associated with Harriet
Tubman.
Subsection (c) requires the Secretary to conduct the study
in accordance with the criteria for the study of areas for
potential inclusion in the National Park System contained in
section 8 of Public Law 91-383, as amended by section 303 of
the National Park Omnibus Management Act (Public Law 105-391;
112 Stat. 3501).
Subsection (d) specifies the persons and entities with whom
the Secretary must consult in preparing the study.
Subsection (e) requires the Secretary to submit to Congress
a report describing the results of the study within two years
of the date that funds are made available for the study.
cost and budgetary considerations
The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, September 22, 2000.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2345, the Harriet
Tubman Special Resource Study Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this
estimate is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 2345--Harriet Tubman Special Resource Study Act
S. 2345 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a special resource study of several sites in New York
and Maryland associated with Harriet Tubman. The study would
determine the national significance of the sites as well as the
feasibility and suitability of designating one or more of them
as units of the National Park System and establishing a
national heritage corridor incorporating them. Finally, the
bill would require the Secretary to report on the results of
the study within two years of receiving funds for it.
Assuming appropriation of the necessary amount, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 2345 would cost the federal
government $200,000 over the next two years to complete the
required study and report. The bill would not affect direct
spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would
not apply. S. 2345 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis.
The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 2345. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 2345, as ordered reported.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
On September 15, 2000, the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting
forth Executive agency recommendations on S. 2345. These
reports had not been received at the time the report on S. 2345
was filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman will
request that they be printed in the Congressional Record for
the advice of the Senate. The testimony provided by the
National Park Service at the Subcommittee hearing follows:
Statement of Denis P. Galvin, Deputy Director, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before the subcommittee to present the views of the Department
of the Interior on S. 2345, a bill to direct the Secretary of
the Interior to conduct a special resource study concerning the
preservation and public use of sites associated with Harriet
Tubman located in Auburn, New York, and for other purposes.
The Department of the Interior supports this legislation
with the amendments outlined in this testimony.
We should note that this study is not one of the new area
studies proposed for authorization and funding in the letter to
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House
Resources Committee accompanying the President's FY 2001
budget. We would recommend that the studies in that letter
receive priority for authorization and funding.
S. 2345 would authorize a special resource study of five
sites located in Auburn, New York, that are related to Harriet
Tubman's life and work, including the home of William H.
Seward. The study would determine the potential for
incorporating one or more of these sites into the National Park
System. The New York Governor's office, state historic
preservation office, City of Auburn Mayor's office, the owners
of the five properties, representatives of the Thompson
Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, the Harriet Tubman Foundation, and
other appropriate organizations would be consulted in
conducting the study.
The study would include an assessment of the national
significance of each of the five sites and would evaluate their
suitability and feasibility for inclusion in the National Park
System. The study would define and evaluate a range of
management options that would address the long term
preservation of and public access to these sites.
Auburn, New York is a small city located in the state's
history-rich Finger Lakes region. The city of Auburn, and the
people and events associated with it, have been highlighted in
a number of recently completed and on-going studies. In
particular, the Seward House and the Harriet Tubman Home for
the Aged were identified in the National Park Service's
Underground Railroad Special Resource Study, completed in 1995.
Another study that is currently in progress, the Women's Rights
National History Trail Study, has also included sites
associated with Harriet Tubman.
Harriet Tubman has long been associated with the
extraordinary work with abolitionist causes and as the
Underground Railroad's most famous conductor. Her heroic
efforts in personally leading 300 persons out of slavery to
freedom in the North defined her as the ``Moses of her
People.'' After the Civil War, she continued her humanitarian
activities to aid the poor and aged, and to establish schools
for freed blacks in the South.
William Seward served as Governor of the state of New York
(1839-43) and U.S. Senator from New York (1848-61) emerging as
a leading anti-slavery figure in the Whig, and later,
Republican parties. As Secretary of State (1861-69), he
negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
Located at 182 South Street and probably constructed in the
1880's, the Harriet Tubman Residence served as the primary
residence for Harriet Tubman and certain members of her family
and strangers in need from the time of its construction until
1911. This house now serves as a home for the resident manager
of the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. Prior to the
construction of this house, Tubman had purchased a house and
seven acres on the outskirts of town from William H. Seward in
1857.
With the help of the AME Zion Church, Tubman established
the Home for the Aged, located at 180 South Street, in 1908 on
the property that she has purchased at public auction from
William H. Seward. Tubman spent the last few years of her life
at this house and died there in 1913 at the age of 93. This two
and one-half story, clapboard structure was the culmination of
a life dedicated to uplifting the plight of those once
condemned to servitude. Tubman deeded the property to the AME
Zion Church, which continues to own and operate the site as a
museum dedicated to preserving the humanitarian vision of its
founder. This property is open to the public by appointment.
Harriet Tubman played a significant role in the formation
and progress of the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church,
located at 33 Parker Street. The church had a central
importance in the life of Harriet Tubman. There are accounts of
her enthusiastic rejoicing, leading the congregation in singing
and praising the Lord. She also worked to strengthen the Church
in central New York and took an active part in seeing that the
new church was built on Parker Street in 1891. Although the
historic church building still stands at this location, the
congregation moved to another location within the City of
Auburn in 1993.
Harriet Tubman was laid to rest at Fort Hill Cemetery, with
military honors. At the time of her burial, the grave was
marked only by the Norway spruce tree that still shelters the
site. According to oral tradition, this was planted several
years earlier to mark the nearby grave of a relative. In 1937,
the Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs placed the present
marker on the site. The grave is also a focus of the annual
Pilgrimage conducted by the A.M.E. Zion Church to commemorate
Harriet Tubman's life and work.
William Henry Seward's Home, located at 33 South Street,
was his permanent residence from 1824 until his death in 1872.
The house was originally constructed in 1817 by Seward's soon-
to-be father-in-law, Judge Elijah Miller. In accordance with a
pre-nuptial agreement, Seward agreed to take up residence in
the house upon his 1824 marriage to Frances Miller. The
original property was much smaller than the existing structure;
beginning in 1840, Seward began a considerable expansion of the
property with the end result being a 30-room mansion.
Throughout his life in Auburn, Seward continued to provide
financial support to Harriet Tubman's efforts culminating with
his estate forgiving her debt. The Seward Home is now a museum
open to the public for a limited time.
We recommend the addition of two technical amendments be
included in this bill. First, on page 3, line 21, we suggest
striking ``feasibility of long-term preservation'' and
inserting ``feasibility and suitability of long-term
preservation''. On page 4, line 14, after ``National Park
System,'' we propose inserting the following new sentence: ``In
conducting the study authorized by this Act, the Secretary
shall use the criteria for the study of areas for potential
inclusion in the National Park System contained in Section 8 of
P.L. 91-383, as amended by Section 303 of the National Parks
Omnibus Management Act (P.L. 105-391), 112 Stat. 3501).''
The resources that are associated with this proposed study
not only convey the stories of important people in our history,
but also serve to illustrate a number of important national
movements. These movements include the abolitionist movement,
the Underground Railroad, the civil rights movement, and the
women's rights movement, among others. This assemblage of
people and events at this location make the aforementioned
sites of Auburn, New York, worthy of the proposed study.
Recently, the White House announced a $450,000 grant
through the Save America's Treasures program for architectural
plans and repairs to preserve the Harriet Tubman residence for
future generations.
This concludes my prepared testimony. I would be happy to
answer any questions from the Committee that you might have.
changes in existing law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 2345, as
ordered reported.