- State: VA
- NPCA Region: Mid-Atlantic
- Est. Date: 2011
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
Climate Change Threats
Nestled at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Fort Monroe played a pivotal role in ending slavery in America, when it became known as "Freedom's Fortress" during the Civil War.
On May 23, 1861, three enslaved African American men rowed to the fort in search of freedom. Union General Benjamin Butler declared the men “contraband of war,” and refused to return them to slaveholders. More than 10,000 African Americans from the region escaped to Fort Monroe over the course of the war, denying the Confederacy the use of their labor in the production of materials to support the Southern war effort. In addition to its rich history, this site on the Old Point Comfort Peninsula also contains more than two miles of rare undeveloped Chesapeake shoreline with a wide range of recreational opportunities.
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Blog Post
9 Parks That Tell the Story of Slavery and Abolition
On June 19, the nation commemorates the end of institutional slavery in the U.S. These national parks are part of that long journey to freedom.
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Blog Post
9 Civil War Battlefields You Helped Save
150 years ago this month, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, leading to the end of the Civil War. The…
More about Fort Monroe
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Read more about Support the Proposed Chesapeake National Recreation Area
NPCA at Work Support the Proposed Chesapeake National Recreation Area The Chesapeake Bay is worth inclusion in the National Park System to enhance public access and protection.
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Read more about A Watershed Moment for the Chesapeake
Resource A Watershed Moment for the Chesapeake The largest estuary in North America, the Chesapeake Bay watershed encompasses 64,000 square miles including six states and the District of Columbia—it’s a thriving ecosystem that has sustained Native peoples for centuries and played a pivotal role in American history. With its ecological and cultural significance, the Chesapeake has become a symbol of the delicate balance between human activity and nature.
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Read more about The Beacon
Podcast Episode The Beacon New legislation could preserve sites and stories along the Chesapeake Bay, including a rare squawking lighthouse and a Civil War fortress.
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Read more about Governor McDonnell: Please Don't Build Houses on a Historic Civil War Site
Blog Post Governor McDonnell: Please Don't Build Houses on a Historic Civil War Site "Freedom's Fortress" is an important part of Virginia's history and no place for a subdivision.
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Read more about Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes
Fact Sheet Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes National parks are key to protecting and connecting our most revered places.
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Read more about Protecting Fort Monroe
Fact Sheet Protecting Fort Monroe In November 2011, President Obama responded to broad and deep public support of using his executive powers to preserve 324 acres of the Old Port Comfort peninsula, declaring Fort Monroe a national monument.
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Read more about Parks Group Report Urges Restoration of Chesapeake Watershed to Ensure Preservation of National Park Sites Tied to Pivotal Moments in Founding of United States
Press Release Parks Group Report Urges Restoration of Chesapeake Watershed to Ensure Preservation of National Park Sites Tied to Pivotal Moments in Founding of United States 'Protecting Our Chesapeake, Protecting Our National Parks' narrative identifies challenges faced by Patapsco River in Maryland and James River in Virginia and how those issues negatively impact the historic character, environments of Fort McHenry, Colonial and Fort Monroe park sites.
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Read more about National Parks Group Applauds President Obama for Designating 396th National Park Site at Fort Monroe in Virginia
Press Release National Parks Group Applauds President Obama for Designating 396th National Park Site at Fort Monroe in Virginia Obama's first Antiquities Act designation will help protect America's Heritage
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