Harriet Tubman died on March 10, 1913, in Auburn, New York, most commonly described as being in her early 90s at the time of her death.

Quick Scoop

  • Date of death: March 10, 1913.
  • Place of death: Auburn, New York, at a home for the elderly that bore her name.
  • Cause of death: Pneumonia in her later years, after long‑term health issues linked to injuries from her time in slavery.

How old was she?

Historians do not agree on Tubman’s exact birth year, which is why her age at death is usually given as a range rather than a single number.

Most modern biographies place her birth around March 1822, making her about 91 when she died, though contemporary records and her gravestone suggest she may have been anywhere from her late 80s to late 90s.

A note on her final days

In her final years, Tubman suffered increasing pain and complications from the head injury she had received in childhood and even underwent brain surgery to relieve the symptoms.

Surrounded by friends and family, she reportedly quoted the Gospel of John—“I go away to prepare a place for you”—shortly before her death and was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.