Fort Monroe National Monument

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The English sited a fort here in their Virginia colony at the mouth of the James River to protect Jamestown and the deep water entrance to the Chesapeake known as Hampton Roads, and now the Norfolk Navy Base sits across the river. The current fort is the largest masonry fort in the US, and although it was not directly involved in any battles, the Monitor v Merrimack battle was witnessed from its lighthouse, the oldest on the Chesapeake. Lincoln planned the capture of Norfolk here. Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was imprisoned here, decades after Lt Davis had been involved in sending captured Chief Black Hawk to prison here. Robert E. Lee improved the moat system above. Edgar Allan Poe served here (and later returned to recite his poetry).

But the most important history here began in 1619, when the first Africans were brought here by British privateers who stole them from the Spanish, and they were immediately put to work by the English colonists beginning the abomination of slavery in the American colonies. The first African American child, William Tucker, was born here in 1624. (First, unless you include Spanish St Augustine Florida, where there were 16th century slaves, as well as slaves in the Coronado and DeSoto expeditions).

The day Virginia seceded, three slaves, Baker, Townsend & Mallory, escaped and sought refuge here. Their owner sent a Confederate officer to claim his property. Without any official policy, the Union General Butler decided that the three men were illegal property or ‘contraband’ and refused to return them. Butler supported educating, training and enlisting them. This ‘contraband decision’ was widely published in newspapers and became Union policy until Emancipation. Many other escaped slaves similarly sought protection at this and other Union forts and camps, and communities with contraband schools began. Nearby Hampton University began as one of those schools, attended by 16 year old Booker T. Washington in 1872, fully 253 years after slavery started here in Virginia.

Here are my visits to all parks in Virginia and to all Civil War parks.

Manassas National Battlefield Park

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Both the first and second battles here (aka Bull Run) were severe losses for the Union ending in retreats to DC. In the first, Stonewall Jackson above got his nickname, and in the second, Robert E. Lee took command. 900 dead first, and 3,300 dead second.

The ranger is giving a tour of Henry Hill, explaining how Jackson’s forces were expertly positioned and how the Union artillery were stupidly placed in front of them, in range, without infantry support, ahead of their line, without scouting the area. A counter-attack was readied, countermanded and overrun, revealing the lack of infantry. Jackson’s troops attacked with ‘a rebel yell’, and the Union retreated in panic. Which also sums up the rest of the battle.

There’s a driving tour for the second battle, where again the Union forces were incompetently led into rash attacks, poorly executed. In contrast, Lee’s army executed maneuvers, defended and counter-attacked well, with good timing, and Jackson even captured supplies behind lines. Again on this hill, faced with defeat, the Union forces defended before retreating at night.

From a military perspective, the Confederate generals here fought admirably. The hero worship can be excessive (Ranger: ‘neither Jackson nor his horse took steroids’) and misplaced (we have no monuments to Yamashita, Tojo or Rommel). The Confederate victories prolonged the war—in defense of slavery—and increased the cost in American lives.

Here are my visits to all parks in Virginia and to all Civil War parks.

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park

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Harriet was born in remote southeastern Maryland, and her knowledge of survival skills in the marshy fields and forests of the area helped her free 70 slaves directly and many more indirectly through her instructions. Now, the NPS NHP, Maryland State Park, and National Monument within the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge are managed jointly. Unlike her home site in Auburn NY, there are no structures from her time here, but the visitor center has exhibits telling her story and busting many of the myths about her, such as the ‘secret messages’ in quilts. The brochure further explains that she could not have sung “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, since it was written by an Oklahoma Cherokee after the Civil War. But she did sing “Go Down Moses” and “Bound for the Promised Land”.

“I had reasoned this out in my mind;
there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death;
if I could not have one, I would have the other,
for no man should take me alive.”

Harriet Tubman

The stories of her childhood, her Underground Railroad missions and of the Combahee River raid are all told here, as is the story of her friendship with the Abolitionist Thomas Garrett. While he did not risk his life as Harriet did, he was involved in almost three thousand escapes over four decades, at considerable personal financial cost. His partnership with Harriet must have felt serendipitous to both. She was a natural, simple, pure person of faith, from childhood, but especially since her injury-caused epilepsy. The Quakers held strong convictions of faith, even over the law, and prized simplicity, humility and doing good deeds. Each was exactly what the other needed, a Moses leading her people out of the wilderness into the promised land, and a network of believers willing to contribute time, money and help to end the abomination of slavery. Yet despite their acts, millions remained enslaved.

Here are my visits to all parks in Maryland.

Fort Washington Park

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In August of 1814, the British launched a two-pronged attack on our nation’s Capital: a naval raid up the Potomac and an overland raid from the Chesapeake. Due to shallow water the land troops reached Washington DC first. DC was poorly defended, as Secretary of War Armstrong had decided that the Capital was not of strategic value?!? The British burned the White House and many other government buildings. Before the fleet reached the original fort here (Warburton), Captain Dyson decided to spike the guns, blow up the magazine and retreat?!? The British fleet sailed right past the smoldering ruin and took Alexandria. In September, the British fleet sailed to Baltimore where they had a different experience with Fort McHenry.

The much larger Fort Washington was built after the war on the old fort’s foundations, and it has a commanding view of the Potomac where Piscataway Creek enters. This fort’s guns were updated several times, but they were not used in battle as the Union maintained naval superiority during the Civil War. Due to fears that Maryland might change sides and give this fort to the Confederacy, additional forts were built around DC. The walk down to the lighthouse (above center) is pretty.

Here are my visits to all parks in Maryland.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial

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This is a difficult site to visit, since it’s only open seasonally, on weekends, in the afternoon, in an area with very little parking. The site is tiny, consisting of a few displays, a short film, and this recreation of his room in a boarding house here in Philadelphia. So, why do we have a site for a Polish citizen?

Thaddeus left Poland and arrived almost simultaneously with the British fleet at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. He had military education and soon found himself employed as an engineer. Long story short, Kosciuszko was the one who chose the site and designed the fortification at Saratoga, which became the turning point of the war. He also designed and oversaw construction of the fort at West Point, which was deemed impenetrable by the British. He also joined the southern campaign and even fought in the last skirmish at the end of the war.

He returned to Poland, declared independence from Russia, and was wounded and exiled when his insurrection failed. The site here is also considered a Polish historic site. He lived in the room above for many years and was close friends with many American Revolutionary War leaders, including Thomas Jefferson. He asked Jefferson to use his American pension to free slaves through his will, but somehow the case eventually lost in court. Jefferson may have been the wrong person to entrust for that.

Here are my visits to all parks in Pennsylvania.

First State National Historical Park

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One of the prettiest partner sites in the park, the Old Swedes Church dates back to 1698 when the King of Sweden funded it to support his small community. (If you do the tour, take the stories about the ghosts and the character who requested the funds with a grain of salt—there are a number of hoaxes out there). The Swedes arrived here in a Dutch ship, the Kalmar Nyckel in 1638, traded with the Native Americans for beaver pelts, and they built a fort named after their progressive young Princess Christina. Eventually, the British took over the area, but there’s now a fabulous recreation of the 17th century tall ship—which does day sails in summer—next to the site of the fort.

Delaware was spared most of the battles of the Revolution, besides a skirmish at a bridge and a naval engagement in the river, and also had no Civil War battles, but its history is nonetheless fascinating. The name comes from Baron De La Warr, the first Governor of the Virginia colony. The land was part of the King’s grant to William Penn—on the condition he take his Quaker friends with him—and was technically part of Pennsylvania until 1787. At the south end of the park, John Dickinson’s plantation holds tours about his writings in favor of independence, his signing of the Constitution and his decision to free his slaves by 1786. Delaware was a key vote during the decision to issue the Declaration of Independence. Two of its three delegates split, and the third, who was ill, rode overnight to cast his vote in favor and to exhort the other state delegates to join. The first state ratification of the Constitution was done in Dover, near the Green, but the tavern were it took place is gone.

Delaware Quakers were active in the Underground Railroad, and there’s a statue of Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett in Wilmington. One African American conductor was arrested, jailed, and auctioned off in front of the old State House in 1848. As Samuel Burris was being carted off into slavery, his purchaser whispered to him, “not to fear, you have been purchased with abolitionist gold and I will spirit you away to Philadelphia”.

Due to the main visitor center behind the Old Court House in New Castle still being under construction, and due to the plethora of partner organizations, the sites and tours may seem a bit disorganized or amateurish, but the locals know their history and are proud of it. The Old Court House has many original artifacts, portraits and exhibits to see on the interesting tour. Try eating at one of the old Colonial Era taverns or tea rooms, and you’ll likely learn more lore from the locals.

Here are my visits to all parks in Delaware.

Monticello

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Jefferson’s entryway is like a science museum. The wind vane connects to a display on the ceiling outside, the clock connects to a series of weights that display the day of the week. The antlers on the wall show American megafauna, and the Native American artifacts represent various tribes. There’s a concave mirror which reflects your image upside down, and there are various maps, as one would expect from the sponsor of Lewis & Clark’s expedition. The rest of the house also includes various gadgets and experimental devices, so he apparently enjoyed being seen as a wizard.

To call the house symmetrical is an understatement. The other side also has columns, well, just look at the back of a nickel. There are long wing-like patios connecting outbuildings, a tunnel running the transverse length underneath, and a winding garden path. Monticello means ‘little hill’ in Italian, but the views are impressive. Jefferson used to peer down through his telescope at the University of Virginia, which he also designed and founded and which is also part of this World Heritage site.

Jefferson is unpopular today, due to his ownership and treatment of slaves, and today’s Monticello does an excellent job of describing the hard life of the hundreds of enslaved people who worked here. The house tour includes the slave tour, and the docents are knowledgeable and answer a whole range of difficult questions. DNA testing revealed many secrets of Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings—a child when it began—, and much more research has been done to unearth fascinating and desperate stories of slavery and a few of liberation. Jefferson knew slavery was wrong, and he had argued against it as a younger man. Some of his friends and colleagues freed their slaves and urged Jefferson to do the same, but with only a few exceptions, such as his own biracial children, he refused even in his will.

It is not wise to condemn the man entirely, however. If you believe that all men are created equal, that we all deserve freedom of religion without government interference, and many other American ideals, then you agree with Jefferson, who enshrined those ideals in our nation’s founding. We should hate the man for his racism and for perpetuating slavery instead of helping end it, but we should also admire his genius, as an architect, a revolutionary, and a renaissance man. Jefferson knew that the most memorable characters of the ancient classical ages all had tragic flaws that often destroyed them in the end, but that’s why we remember their stories—both good and evil—, to learn from them.

Here are my visits to all parks in Virginia.

Hampton National Historic Site

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Before the Revolution, Charles Ridgely grew his fortune making iron and exporting it to Europe for finished goods. His land had all the essential elements for this business, nearby Baltimore had the port, he purchased his own merchant fleet, and even received tax incentives from the British government. He diversified into other businesses, growing corn, fruit, and bottling casks of port to sell in the city. And he didn’t pay most of his workers.

When the war began, Ridgely sold iron and supplies to the Americans. His craftsmen were skilled, and he was likely the largest enterprise in the country at the time. For cheap, he purchased the lands confiscated from Loyalists. But he didn’t adhere to the ideals of the American Revolution. In fact, he built the largest, most purely British Georgian mansion above, while the country was just finishing fighting its War of Independence from the British King George.

His nephew inherited the home in 1790 and served in Congress and as Maryland Governor, arguing for peace with Britain. By the 1820s, Hampton was 25,000 acres and included cattle, horse racing and marble quarries. For six generations, the Ridgely family held on to this property and protected the family wealth. The work was done by over 300 slaves at any one time, and the plantation was known to be one of the state’s largest and hardest driving plantation, where other slaves feared to be sold as punishment.

The ranger was unable to point to any contributions made to society by the Ridgely family over 200 years, but she did have much evidence that they enjoyed an aristocratic life and drank copiously. They had a huge ice cave dug into the hill, filled in winter, so they could enjoy ice cream during the summer. (They lived in their Baltimore house during the winter). The four main rooms have been marvelously restored to different time periods, Colonial, the Governor (photo), pre Civil War and post Civil War, each with elaborate displays that would make European nobility blush. The hall and rooms are filled with large portraits of the vain slaveholders, none of whom made the choice to see their slaves as equally human.

The overseers house, farm buildings and some slave quarters have been restored as well, and all can be seen from the front step, far down the hill. The park service has done admirable research on the life of the slaves, and I learned how generations of young Ridgely children were taught to maintain the system of control. Slavery impacts every aspect of humanity, and the stories here are told with some meticulous details to evoke hundreds of years of cruelty. The house was donated to the park service by a wealthy foundation in part to preserve the fine art collection.

Here are my visits to all parks in Maryland.

Thomas Stone National Historic Site

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The site is open in limited seasons, on limited days of the week, for limited hours, with limited staff, with limited tours. Despite the sign on the visitor center door saying that someone should be there and that there was another tour scheduled, the place was locked and nobody showed up. The house is off limits without a tour, so, the placard above is all I have. Thomas Stone voted for and signed the Declaration of Independence. He typically owned around two dozen slaves, and his Uncle was a slave trader who owned the ship that brought Kunta Kinte to Maryland. After the death of Stone’s wife, he became ill in 1787 and declined to participate in the Constitutional Convention, dying shortly thereafter. His house burned in 1977, and the earliest photo for restoration was 1902. “Haber de venture” means ‘dwelling of the winds’.

Here are my visits to all parks in Maryland.

Piscataway Park

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This park was founded to protect the view across the Potomac from Mount Vernon, so visitors there can see the Maryland shore as it appeared to George & Martha Washington. Now it is the site of a middle-class Colonial farm, an ecosystem farm, a demonstration farm, a marsh boardwalk, a sacred Native American burial ground, docks and a kayak launch. The park service leases the land to partners and co-manages it. The tobacco barn above and nearby buildings pre-date the USA, and there is actual tobacco drying inside. The crops are heirloom, and the animals are 18th century breeds. While beautiful and interesting, it appears most of the visitors are local hikers, fishermen, school groups and dog walkers. Iridescent barn swallows dart all around the boardwalk. The views are lovelier close up.

Here are my visits to all parks in Maryland.