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Contact: Outer Banks Group, 252-475-9034
In August of 1861, Union forces defeated Confederate troops at Hatteras Inlet and at Forts Clark and Hatteras.Word of this victory spread quickly and hundreds of former enslaved people escaped from mainland regions of North Carolina and Roanoke Island to freedom on Hatteras Island.In the newly formed safe haven, slaves received food and housing in exchange for unloading supply vessels.The site of the Hotel D'Afrique, which operated from 1861-1865, is marked with a black stone monument near the entrance to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, North Carolina. The National Park Service, through the national Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, tells the story of resistance against the institution of slavery in the United States through escape and flight.A basic founding principle of this Nation is the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression and the Network to Freedom program demonstrates this principle.The Network to Freedom coordinates preservation and education efforts nationwide, and works to integrate local historical sites, museums, and interpretive programs associated with the Underground Railroad. Superintendent Barclay Trimble is pleased to announce that recently the site of Hotel D'Afrique was evaluated and chosen as a site that makes significant contribution to the understanding of the Underground Railroad in American history.The Hotel D'Afrique site was selected for inclusion in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. For more information on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, please check out these websites: https://inside.nps.gov/regions/custommenu.cfm?lv=1&rgn=&id=5399 https://www.nps.gov/caha/forkids/tradingcards.htm. -NPS- |
Last updated: April 14, 2015