Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe National Monument has a long and diverse history that spans the American story. The first inhabitants of the area were American Indians, and Captain John Smith's journeys brought the first English settlers to the area. The first enslaved Africans arrived in English North America at Fort Monroe, and during the American Civil War, it served as a safe haven for freedom seekers. Until disarmament in 1946, the areas protected by the fort were the entire Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River regions, including the water approaches to the cities of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland, along with important shipyards and naval bases in the Hampton Roads area. Surrounded by a moat, the six-sided bastion fort is the largest fort by area ever built in the United States. This rich history makes Fort Monroe a unique and fascinating place to visit.