History of Hampton Roads facts for kids
The history of Hampton Roads began in 1607. This was when the first English settlement in the New World, Jamestown, was founded. Many important events have happened here, including two major wars.
Contents
Early Days: Hampton Roads History Begins
First English Settlers Arrive (1607)
In April 1607, three English ships arrived at Cape Henry. These ships were the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. Their leader was Captain Christopher Newport. This event is now called the "First Landing."
The colonists were told by the Virginia Company of London to find a safer spot. They worried about other European countries, like Spain. Spain had explored the Chesapeake Bay before. They even tried to start a small settlement in 1570, but it failed.
For 18 days, the English explored the area. They surely saw the huge harbor of Hampton Roads. They sailed up the James River and picked Jamestown Island. On May 14, 1607, they built the first lasting English settlement there.
Jamestown was a good spot for defense. Ships could dock easily, and it was easy to protect. But the land was low and marshy. Many colonists got sick and died. During the "Starving Time" in 1609-10, over 80% of the settlers died.
Things got better when Lord Delaware arrived as the new Governor. A new colonist named John Rolfe also found a way to grow tobacco. This helped the Virginia Colony finally succeed.
Why Hampton Roads Was Important
For hundreds of years, the harbor and rivers of Hampton Roads have been perfect for trade. They were also great for building ships. Some shipyards, like the Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth, started as early as the late 1600s.
The harbor was also key for military control. Early settlers built forts at Old Point Comfort by 1610. These forts protected them from attacks by Spanish or other European ships.
American Revolution: Freedom's Fight
Important battles of the American Revolutionary War happened in Norfolk and at Craney Island. This island is at the mouth of the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth. It was in Norfolk that Lord Dunmore, Virginia's last Royal Governor, left the mainland for good.
19th Century: Wars and Changes
The first naval battle of the War of 1812 happened on July 8, 1812. A British ship, HMS Whiting, anchored in Hampton Roads. Its crew didn't know the U.S. had declared war. An American privateer ship, the Dash, captured it as it was leaving port.
Forts Protect the Bay
By the 1830s, the U.S. government built strong forts to protect the entrance from Chesapeake Bay. Fort Monroe was started in 1819 on Old Point Comfort. Fort Wool (first called Fort Calhoun) was built in 1829. It was on a small island called the Rip Raps in the middle of the channel.
A young engineer named Robert E. Lee helped build these forts. He was 24 years old and part of the U.S. Army.
American Civil War: Ironclads and Freedom
The famous Battle of Hampton Roads happened during the American Civil War (1861-1865). This battle was between the first American ironclad warships. They were the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (which used to be the USS Merrimack).
The battle took place near Sewell's Point on March 8–9, 1862. It ended without a clear winner. Later in 1862, Union forces took control of Hampton Roads. They also took Norfolk and the lower James River.
Union General George B. McClellan launched his huge 1862 Peninsula Campaign from Fort Monroe. This land campaign lasted many months. It moved up the Virginia Peninsula, with battles at Yorktown and Williamsburg. The Union Army almost reached Richmond, the capital of the Confederate states.
However, the Confederates defended their capital well. McClellan's campaign failed to capture Richmond. It ended with the Seven Days Battles, and the Union Army pulled back. This meant the war lasted almost three more years.
On February 3, 1865, near the end of the war, President Abraham Lincoln met with three Confederate leaders. They met to talk about peace at the "Hampton Roads Conference." Lincoln wanted the states to rejoin the Union. He even offered to pay for the slaves. But the Confederates demanded complete independence. The meeting ended after four hours with no agreement.
Freedom for Enslaved People
Starting in 1861, many enslaved people found safety near Fort Monroe. This fort stayed in Union hands throughout the war. The commander, Union Army General Benjamin F. Butler, was a lawyer. He declared these people "Contraband of war."
This meant Union forces did not have to return them to their Confederate owners. Soon, word spread, and many enslaved people wanted to become "contraband." Many "contraband" men joined the United States Colored Troops (USCT).
Other men, women, and children gathered near Fort Monroe. They built the Grand Contraband Camp. They used wood from the nearby town of Hampton, which had been burned. This camp was the first self-contained African American community in the United States.
Close by is the Emancipation Oak. It is on the grounds of a school that grew into Hampton University. This school started to train teachers. Early educators included Mary S. Peake and General Samuel C. Armstrong. One of the first students was Booker T. Washington. He became a famous educator and led Tuskegee University. The Emancipation Oak is now part of the city of Hampton's official logo.
20th Century: Growth and Innovation
The Jamestown Exposition was held at Sewell's Point in 1907. This event celebrated 300 years since Jamestown was founded in 1607.
President Theodore Roosevelt arrived by water in Hampton Roads. Other famous people like Mark Twain also came. A huge naval show was part of the event. The U.S. Great White Fleet even made an appearance. Navy leaders noticed how perfect the harbor was.
Because of this, in 1917, Sewell's Point became the site of the world's largest Naval Base. This happened as the United States joined World War I. It is now known as Naval Station Norfolk.
Military Land on the Peninsula
Twice in the 20th century, during World War I and World War II, whole communities were moved. These were mostly African American families living in York County. Their land was taken for military use. This created the U.S. Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Camp Peary.
Towns like Lackey, Halstead's Point, Penniman, Bigler's Mill, and Magruder were all absorbed. Many families moved to Grove, a nearby town in James City County. Generations of these families still live there today.
Colonial Williamsburg: A Living Museum
Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia from 1699 to 1780. After the capital moved to Richmond, Williamsburg became a quiet town. It saw some fighting during the Battle of Williamsburg in the Civil War.
In the early 1900s, many old colonial buildings in Williamsburg were falling apart. Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin wanted to save his historic church. He later dreamed of restoring the whole town.
He found support from John D. Rockefeller Jr., a wealthy businessman, and his wife. Together, they created Colonial Williamsburg. This huge project restored many old buildings. It also built replicas of others. It became a 301-acre (1.2 km2) Historic Area. It celebrates America's early history and patriots.
By the 1930s, Colonial Williamsburg was the center of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia. The three points are Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Jamestown is where the colony began. Williamsburg was the capital. Yorktown is where America won its independence from Great Britain.
The National Park Service built the Colonial Parkway to connect these three places. This made the Historic Triangle one of the biggest tourist spots in the world.
Hampton Roads "Firsts"
In 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel was the first bridge-tunnel complex in the world. The much longer Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel followed in 1963.
In the 1960s, the first astronauts of Project Mercury trained at the NASA facility. This was next to Hampton's Langley Air Force Base. You can still see this honored today, like on Mercury Boulevard.
Images for kids
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The harbor area of Hampton Roads, from official state map of pre-civil war Virginia circa 1858.
