Stories of the Enslaved

Hampton National Historical Site was established as a unit of the National Park Service in 1948 because “outstanding merit as an architectural monument.” The result was the romanticization of the Hampton Plantation and the exclusion of the stories of the people enslaved at Hampton from the history.

Over the past several years, cooperated with historians, partners, universities, and descendants to center the stories of people enslaved by the Ridgely family at Hampton. Finally, we can to bring the stories of the enslaved to light and bring back the voices of those whose voices were stifled for many years.

This attempt to tell the complete story of the history of Hampton National Historic Site has allowed for several stories to be highlighted below.

Learn about Chattel Slavery at Hampton

Individuals

Harriet Hawkins

Learn about the story of Hampton's head dressmaker and how the story goes deeper than other enslaved people.
The story of Toby
Toby

The story of Toby, and enslaved worker in the Hampton ironworks.
Two freedom seekers
Betty and Charles

The stories of two different freedom seekers from Hampton
From enslaved man to free laborer
Jim Pratt

Jim Pratt was and enslaved man who returned to Hampton as a free laborer.
Who cooked Hampton's elaborate meals
Hampton's cooks

Who were the people behind the elaborate meals for the Ridgelys and their guests?
Hampton's best known enslaved person
Nancy Davis

The story of Hampton's most documented enslaved person.
Journey to emancipation
Lucy Jackson

One enslaved woman's journey to emancipation
Franklin Johnson

From Hampton, he paid the ultimate sacrifice in fighting for his country, his family, and his rights in the American Civil War.

Families

Part of social change
The Cummings Family

Learn about the activism and public service of the Cummings family.
Two Families, Different Paths

The story of Davis sisters Caroline and Ellen is an example of how the formerly enslaved took different paths once Emancipation came to MD
Reunited in Freedom
The Wicks Family

Learn how the Wicks family reunited in freedom and built a community.
How freedom seeking changed a family
The Posey Family

How families were separated due to success and failures of freedom seeking.
Three families purchased at once
Three Families

Three families were the last major purchase of human beings at Hampton, their stories are highlighted here.
How a father freed his daughter
Daniel and Mary Harris

How a father worked to free his daughter from enslavement
Toogood Family

Learn about the Toogood family, their life after emancipation, and the impression they left on the Ridgely family.

Learn More

Freedom Seekers

Learn all about people that would seek their freedom from Hampton.
Chattel Slavery at Hampton

From the colonial period through 1864, the Ridgelys enslaved over 500 people. Enslaved people, from young children to the elderly
Religion and the Enslaved

African Americans hosted their own religious services in the woods at Hampton. Click to learn more.
Free Black Laborers

Free Black Laborers worked at Hampton for various reasons. A good amount did to eventually purchase their family members.
Gruesome
Working Conditions

Accounts of the working conditions of the forced labor iron works.
Forms of Control

From physical to mental abuse for the youngest ages to the oldest. Learn about the harsh truths and forms of control.
Hampton During the Civil War

The Ridgely's passed their lives without worry until it became apparent that a civil war was about to impact their lives.
Revealing the Lives of the Enslaved

A recent Ethnographic Study uncovered major information on the lives of those enslaved at Hampton and their descendants. Read about it here.
Descendants of the Enslaved

Learn about the amazing things the descendants of the enslaved would go on to do.
Who Lived Here Exhibit

Learn about the people that made Hampton what it is today.