Fort Monroe National Monument!

What Is Fort Monroe National Monument?

Fort Monroe National Monument preserves the largest stone fort in America!

What Makes It Historical?

Fort Monroe was built in the aftermath of the War of 1812 as a defense of Chesapeake Bay and the James and Elizabeth Rivers! It was designed by a former aid of Napoleon, Brigadier General Simon Bernard, who had been banished from France after his general’s defeat, and took 25 years to complete, from 1819 until 1834! The fort took its name from President James Monroe, whose War Department spearheaded its development!

Fort Monroe was built to be a third system fort, which was not only heavily fortified but also self-sustaining in the event of a siege! For this reason, it remained the only Union fort below the Mason-Dixon Line throughout the Civil War! From Fort Monroe, Major General Benjamin Butler issued his Contraband Decision in 1861, declaring any folks escaping north from enslavement would be contrabands of war and not to be returned to plantations. This was significant because this was the same place where, in 1619, the very first enslaved folks set foot in the Americas!

In May of 1862, President Lincoln visited Fort Monroe to help plan out the bombardment of the Confederate naval base at Norfolk, a crucial move that kept control of Chesapeake Bay in Union hands! From here, George McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign kicked off, and the ironclad warships, CSS Virginia and USS Monitor brought the age of wooden fighting ships to an end! The so-called “Gibralter of Chesapeake Bay” would also serve as a prison for the likes of Black Hawk and Jefferson Davis! Fort Monroe would go on to defend Chesapeake Bay through both World Wars until it was decommissioned in 2011 and made a national monument!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Donate to Fort Monroe National Monument!
Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!