8/6/2019 National Trust For Historic Preservation encourages
President Obama to designate Virginias Fort Monroe a National
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Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Media Relations, 202.588.6141, [email protected]
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ENCOURAGES PRESIDENT
OBAMA TO
DESIGNATE VIRGINIAS FORT MONROE A NATIONAL MONUMENT
Washington, DC (June 9, 2011)One hundred fiftyyears ago, three
brave enslaved men, Shepard Mallory,
Frank Baker, and James Townsend, escaped the Confederate Army
and fled in a small boat to Virginias Fort
Monroe. There, the Union Army commander seized these men as
contraband of war, an unusual legal
maneuver that provided refuge for the three men, and in turn,
heralded the beginning of the end of slavery in
America. Over the course of the Civil War, a total of over
500,000 enslaved people would follow in the
footsteps of those first three, leading to one of the Civil Wars
most extraordinaryand overlookedchapters.
To celebrate the bravery of these 500,000 self-emancipated men,
women and children, and to permanently
preserve the nationally important historic site where these
momentous events took place, the National Trust for
Historic Preservation is calling on President Obama to designate
Fort Monroe as a National Monument.
In a letter to President Obama, National Trust for Historic
Preservation president Stephanie Meeks asked the
President to exercise the powers granted to the chief executive
under the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate Fort
Monroe a National Monument, which would make it an official part
of the National Park Service.
1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036
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www.PreservationNation.org
8/6/2019 National Trust For Historic Preservation encourages
President Obama to designate Virginias Fort Monroe a National
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For more than 100 years, presidents have used the Antiquities
Act to enshrine and protect some of Americas
most important and beloved historic places, from the Grand
Canyon to the Statue of Liberty to Chaco Canyon,
said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. On the 150th anniversary of the
Civil War and the momentous events that took place at Fort
Monroe, we feel that this is an especially
appropriate time to recognize the critical role this place has
played in our nations history. Designating Fort
Monroe as a National Monument will ensure that future
generations of Americans can learn from, and be
inspired by, this vital piece of American history.
BACKGROUND ON FORT MONROE AND THE CONTRABAND MOVEMENT
The construction of Fort Monroe was completed in 1834, and it
served as the assembly, training, and
embarkation point for U.S. forces involved in the Seminole Wars,
the suppression of Nat Turners Rebellion, the
Black Hawk War, and the Mexican War. Arguably most compelling is
its role as the birthplace of the Civil War-
era Contraband movement for self-emancipation. Contraband
heritage is one of the least well-known and
most important chapters of American history. Contraband heritage
commemorates the struggles and triumphs
of 500,000 African American women, children, and men who freed
themselves from slavery at great risk and,
thereby, secured their own liberty, influenced national
politics, and hastened the formal Emancipation
Proclamation.
For further information on this historic event, please
visit:
http://blog.preservationnation.org/2011/05/11/the-contraband-of-america-and-the-road-to-freedom/
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
(www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership
organization
bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the
places that matter to them. By saving the places where greatmoments
from history and the important moments of everyday life took place,
the National Trust for Historic
Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities,
spark economic development and promote environmental
sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight
regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner
organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of
Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides
leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national
network of people, organizations and local communities
committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and
collectively shaping the future of Americas stories.
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