A quotation attributed to Harriet Tubman about having “freed a thousand slaves” resurfaced on social media around the anniversary of the abolitionist icon’s death, but experts told Reuters there is no record of Tubman ever saying it. The quotation, “I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves,” has been shared on Twitter (here) and Facebook (bit.ly/3yCgfdh), (bit.ly/3Fpgyfh) following the 110th anniversary of Tubman’s death on March 10, 1913. “She wouldn’t have to convince anyone.”According to Kate Clifford Larson, who has written two books about Tubman (www.katecliffordlarson.com/), the fabricated quote started circulating in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Clifford Larson also noted that Tubman did not free a thousand slaves. There is no evidence that Harriet Tubman ever said she freed a thousand slaves and would have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.

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