From Point Comfort to Fort Monroe: The 400th Anniversary of the African Landing
August 23-25, 2019
400th Anniversary Commemorative Weekend
A multi-day celebration centered around the First African arrival, including dedication and remembrance ceremonies, gallery exhibits, historical tours, conferences, cultural workshops and a concert featuring Sounds of Blackness.
August 24, 2019
Commemoration Ceremony and Dedication of the Fort Monroe Visitor & Education Center
Events begin 9:30 am with a commemoration ceremony and dedication of the Fort Monroe Visitor and Education Center. Stay for the rest of the day and enjoy cultural demonstrations, vendors, children’s activities, and more in Continental Park.
First African Arrival
In 1619, the ship carrying the first enslaved Africans in the New World reached the shores of North America at Point Comfort, now Fort Monroe. Far from their home in Angola, these farmers, blacksmiths, herders andartisans survived capture and displacement and helped a fledgling nation survive.
The Contraband Decision
During the Civil War, Fort Monroe became known as “Freedom’s Fortress” based on the Contraband Decision of 1861 when three fugitive slaves sought refuge at the fort. Just two years later, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation guaranteeing freedom for all persons held as slaves.
The Black Cultural Tour
Follow the historical connection between African Americans and Fort Monroe by taking the Black Cultural Tour. From Engineer Wharf, marking the first landing of Africans at Old Point Comfort, to the “Contraband Hospital” site where, in 1863, Harriet Tubman served as a nurse and cook, you can take an enjoyable and informative eight-stop walking or driving tour.
Mark Your Calendar
Join us for the 400th Anniversary Commemorative Weekend August 23-25 including the Commemoration Ceremony and Dedication of the Fort Monroe Visitor & Education Center Saturday, August 24! Following is a list of 400th Commemoration events. 2019 will be a year to remember at Fort Monroe. We invite you to join us.
Experience the sights and sounds of the American Civil War garrison of Fort Monroe as the forces of the United States and the Army of the Potomac assemble to strike out hoping to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. Events will focus on the civilian, military, and African American experience at Fort Monroe in 1862.
A night of traditional and old Negro Spirituals of the past.
Hosted by the Southeastern Virginia Arts Association.
Located in the Fort Monroe Theatre
Beginning with the arrival of Africans on the shores of Old Point Comfort, this moving and reflective musical work uses drama, poetry, song, and dance to recount 400 years of the African American experience in North America. Presented by Goode Dance Academy at the
Fort Monroe Theatre.
This annual ceremony in partnership with the Fort Monroe Authority, Colonies RV and Travel Park, and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America memorializes the men and women who have fallen in service to the United States and will highlight the honorable service of generations of African Americans. The ceremony will conclude with a retirement of worn, and unserviceable flags in the proper manner.
Learn about our often complicated past with a primer on the practice of slavery in North America.
Learn about our often complicated past with a primer on the practice of slavery in North America.
Fort Monroe 1619-1861: Enslaved to Freedom: Fort Monroe Theatre will be transformed into the set for a raucous political convention reminiscent of those made famous by 19th century suffragettes and abolitionists replete with signs, balloons and plenty of passion for their candidates and causes.
An era of complexity and struggle over the questions of slavery that resulted in a civil war that would impact everyone in the United States and bring the country to the brink of destruction and the end of slavery.
The era after the American Civil War created new opportunities and hardships for African Americans. Explore the experiences faced in this new United States of America.
This annual ceremony in partnership with the Fort Monroe Authority, Casemate Museum, and James Monroe Memorial Foundation observes the 188th anniversary of the 1831 death of President James Monroe. 2019 will honor the legacy and connections of “Freedom’s Fortress,” and explore the efforts to bridge the historical racial divide between communities in Virginia.