Gertie Davis was the adopted daughter of Harriet Tubman, and remains a little-known figure in history, although she played a significant role in the private life of one of America’s most celebrated icons.
Born in the late 1860s, Davis was adopted as an infant by Harriet Tubman and her second husband, Nelson Davis, becoming the only child in their household.
Tubman, renowned for her work as an abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad, helped lead dozens of enslaved individuals to freedom, risking her life to guide them to the North.
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Tubman’s legacy is well documented as she made around 13 trips and rescued approximately 70 people, famously stating she “never lost a single passenger,” according to the Harriet Tubman Historical Society.
By the 1870s, Tubman had already established herself as a key figure in the fight against slavery and had also served as a spy and scout for the Union Army during the Civil War.
It was during this time, in her 50s, that Tubman and Nelson Davis adopted Gertie Davis. Davis grew up on the Tubman farm in Auburn, New York, a seven-acre property purchased by Tubman in 1859.
The farm was not only a home for the family but a sanctuary for orphans, disabled individuals, and elderly people who were unable to work at the time, and this further reflected Tubman’s lifelong dedication to helping others.
Despite living in the shadow of her famous mother, Gertie Davis grew up in an environment shaped by Tubman’s values of resilience, compassion, and service. Davis witnessed the hardships the family endured, including the destruction of their farmhouse by fire in 1880.
Fortunately for them, the local community rallied to help rebuild the property, indicating the support for Tubman’s humanitarian efforts.
Details about Gertie’s later life are sparse, but it is known that she attended local schools in Auburn, where Tubman emphasized the importance of education as a means of empowerment.
Davis absorbed these values and carried them with her throughout her life. She eventually married a man with the last name Watson and later married Lee Cheney, with whom she had several children.
Gertie’s life may not have attracted the same public attention as her mother’s, yet she was still deeply influenced by Tubman’s example of activism and hard work.
Gertie reflected the moral principles of her family, contributing to the legacy of service and advocacy for the Black community that Tubman embodied.
It is unclear whether Gertie outlived her parents, as Nelson Davis passed away in 1888 from battling tuberculosis, and her mother Harriet Tubman died in 1913 from pneumonia.
Davis’ role in Tubman’s life remains a testament to the enduring legacy of the Tubman family and their commitment to social justice.
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Davis in particular stood for kindness, family and prioritized community just like her mother, and she is remembered for her crucial role in preserving the history and legacy of Harriet Tubman, who made it her cause to aid in the pursuit of liberation for individual families and individuals from slavery.
