African American History in Hampton Roads, VA
Significant Events
- 1607: First permanent English colony in North America was established in Jamestowne.
- 1661: Virginia's House of Burgesses established the lifelong servitude of Africans.
- 1790: Virginia's slave population was over 292,000. Free Blacks numbered about 11,000.
- 1863-70: Emancipation Proclamation (1863), 13th Amendment abolished slavery (1865), 14th Amendment granted citizenship (1868), 15th Amendment granted the franchise (1870).
- 1896: Plessy v. Ferguson established the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Landmarks
- Old Point Comfort at Fort Monroe--"freedom fortress" where slaves were granted refuge in 1861.
- Historic Jamestowne--first permanent English settlement and arrival site of first Africans in 1619.
- Colonial Williamsburg--VA capital and world's largest living history; half black in 18th century.
- Yorktown--site of climactic battle of the American Revolution.
- The Great Dismal Swamp--refuge for runaway slaves (Maroons) in 18th and 19th centuries.
- Emancipation Oak--first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation located at Hampton University.
Source:
WHRO, African American History Comes Alive in Hampton Roads (2010). www.whro.org
