Latest news with #EmancipationOak
Washington Post
16-04-2025
- General
- Washington Post
To save our trees, we must burn down our forests
Is any of God's creations nobler than the oak tree? Its majestic boughs inspired the pens of Wordsworth and Whitman and the brushes of Monet and wood has kept Old Ironsides afloat and has aged our whiskey and wine. Its finest specimens, living hundreds of years, witnessed history: The Emancipation Oak. The Charter Oak. The Royal Oak. The Wye Oak. The Mercer Oak. Abraham Lincoln navigated by the Salt River Ford Oak. Andrew Jackson sheltered under the Sunnybrook Oaks on his way to the Battle of New Orleans.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Black History Month: The Emancipation Oak is symbolic of African American Freedom
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – One of the 10 greatest trees in the world is still holding strong — and with a remarkable tale of strength to pair with it. The Emancipation Oak has more than 200 years of Black History rooted on the grounds of Hampton University, and it comes in the form of a live oak tree. Just shy of 100-feet in diameter with majestic branches, the Emancipation Oak encompasses the way forward to African American Freedom. 'It is symbolic of a struggle, not just then, but now,' says Robert Charles Watson, Hampton University Assistant Professor of History. 'There is a connection between the past and the present.' The oak circumferences the sacred ground in which enslaved Blacks learned of their new fate. 'It was a kind of a transformational period of time in the lives of African-Americans in this community,' says Mayor Jimmy Gray, City of Hampton. 'And we know the struggles that they went through as slaves and then as ex-slaves.' According to Hampton History museum specialist, Willow Pell, the war had a significant impact on Hampton, as the city was burned entirely in 1861 by Confederate forces. But the revolution began when a few brave souls escaped captivity, setting into motion the beginning of the end of slavery. On the same day, they strategically planted themselves at Fort Monroe when a vote was being made to ratify Virginia's secession from the Union. 'To sort of summarize the significance here, these three men coming to Fort Monroe led to that contraband decision which led to the confiscation acts, which sort of solidified and expanded the Union Army's ability to free enslaved people, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation,' says Pell. But the oak played a far greater role in the Civil War era — also serving as a classroom where prominent figure Mary Peake fearlessly devoted her time to educating both free and enslaved Blacks. She defied Virginia laws that prohibited them from reading or writing. 'An interesting woman, a well-to-do woman whose family was from Norfolk, who moved to Hampton early in her life, where Mary realized that teaching students how to read and write was important as a stepping stone to upward mobility,' said Professor Watson. Peake risking her life for the advancement of Black people somewhat served as a precursor to the inception of Hampton University, established in 1868 amidst the Reconstruction Era. 'I think the fact that it's on a lot on our campus indicates the importance of it, not just to our students, as I said previously, to people who come from all over the world to see this symbol,' Professor Watson says. This notable event of the Civil War shifted the landscape of Hampton through the contraband actions in seeking freedom, eventually leading to massive changes in how the Union conducted the war, bringing emancipation as a war goal and eventually leading to the end of slavery on Jan. 1, 1863. 'While it was a small piece of history, it was a major piece of history not only for Hampton, but really for our nation,' Mayor Jimmy Gray. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
