Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact: Media Relations, 202.588.6141, pr@nthp.org

NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ENCOURAGES PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DESIGNATE VIRGINIAS FORT MONROE A NATIONAL MONUMENT

Washington, DC (June 9, 2011)One hundred fifty years 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.

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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 Warera 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 great moments 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. ###