The Yorktown Battlefield

The Yorktown Battlefield in Virginia is known for its pivotal role as the site of the decisive victory of the Continental Army over the British in 1781that ended the American Revolutionary War. However, during the Civil War, it became a critical site for Black Americans seeking freedom. In 1862, as Union forces advanced, thousands of enslaved people fled to Union lines from the South, forming what were known as "contraband camps." These camps were shelters for the newly escaped, offering food, shelter, and work. They symbolized the early stages of emancipation. More than a century later, this site would become the home of a thriving Black community.

However, in the 1970s, the construction of the Colonial National Historical Park and the expansion of the Yorktown Battlefield led to the displacement of Black families who had lived in the area for generations long before the park's establishment. The removal of these homes reflects a long history of marginalized communities being uprooted in the name of historic preservation.

The Yorktown Battlefield in Virginia is known for its pivotal role as the site of the decisive victory of the Continental Army over the British in 1781that ended the American Revolutionary War. However, during the Civil War, it became a critical site for Black Americans seeking freedom. In 1862, as Union forces advanced, thousands of enslaved people fled to Union lines from the South, forming what were known as "contraband camps." These camps were shelters for the newly escaped, offering food, shelter, and work. They symbolized the early stages of emancipation. More than a century later, this site would become the home of a thriving Black community.

However, in the 1970s, the construction of the Colonial National Historical Park and the expansion of the Yorktown Battlefield led to the displacement of Black families who had lived in the area for generations long before the park's establishment. The removal of these homes reflects a long history of marginalized communities being uprooted in the name of historic preservation.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American history.

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Original photograph by James Edward Mills