Grand Contraband Camp Contraband (American Civil War)

a contraband camp, formerly used female seminary, circa 1863

the word spread among southeastern virginia s slave communities. while becoming contraband did not mean full freedom, many slaves considered step in direction. day after butler s decision, many more escaped slaves found way fort monroe , appealed become contraband. number of former slaves grew large housed inside fort, contrabands erected housing outside crowded base burned ruins of city of hampton. called new settlement grand contraband camp (which nicknamed slabtown ). end of war in april 1865, less 4 years later, estimated 10,000 escaped slaves had applied gain contraband status, many living nearby. across south, union forces managed more 100 contraband camps, although not large. camp on roanoke island started in 1862, horace james developed freedmen s colony of roanoke island (1863–1867). appointed union army, james congregational chaplain who, freedmen, tried create self-sustaining colony @ island.

near fort monroe, outside protective walls, pioneering teacher mary s. peake began teach both adult , child contrabands read , write. first black teacher hired american missionary association, sent numerous northern white teachers south teach. area of elizabeth city county later became part of campus of hampton university, historically black college. defying virginia law against educating slaves, peake , other teachers held classes outdoors under large oak tree. in 1863, president abraham lincoln s emancipation proclamation read contrabands , free blacks there, tree named emancipation oak. of contrabands, full emancipation did not take place until thirteenth amendment united states constitution abolishing slavery ratified in late 1865.