On September 17, 1861, Mrs. Mary Smith Peake taught the first classes to African American children on the grounds of what is now Hampton University at Hampton Roads in Virginia under the shade of the Emancipation Oak.

Emancipation Oak is a historic tree located on the campus of Hampton University in what is now the City of Hampton, Virginia. (Elizabeth City County and the Town of Phoebus voted to consolidate with the City of Hampton in 1952). The large sprawling oak is 98 feet (30 m) in diameter, with branches which extend upward as well as laterally, as if offering refuge. It is designated one of the 10 Great Trees of the World by the National Geographic Society and is a National Historic Landmark. Image File history File links Emanicipation_oak_hampton-cropped. ... Image File history File links Emanicipation_oak_hampton-cropped. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... On September 17, 1861, Mrs. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia. ... Hampton Roads, from state map of pre-civil war Virginia circa 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ... Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia. ... Hampton is an independent city located in Virginia. ... Elizabeth City County was located at the eastern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. ... Phoebus was a town located in Elizabeth City County on the Virginia Peninsula in eastern Virginia. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Flag of the National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society was founded in the United States on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... USS Constitution. ...

History

During the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), nearby Fort Monroe remained in Union hands, and became a place of refuge for escaped African American slaves seeking asylum. Prior to the Civil War, and following the slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in 1831, Virginia law had been changed to prohibit the education of slaves. Nevertheless, in 1861, Mrs. Mary Smith Peake (1823 to 1862) taught children of former slaves under the tree, which was 3 miles outside of the protective safety of Fort Monroe, and held night classes for adults. In 1863, the Virginia Peninsula's black community gathered under this tree to hear the first Southern reading of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The American Civil War was fought in North America from 1861 until 1865 between the United States of America – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... Fort Monroe, Virginia (also known as Fortress Monroe) is a military installation located at Old Point Comfort on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads on the Chesapeake Bay in eastern Virginia in the United States. ... Map of the division of the states during the Civil War. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... Nat Turner Preaches Religion. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... On September 17, 1861, Mrs. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads, and Chesapeake Bay. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... The Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation was a declaration by United States President Abraham Lincoln announcing that all slaves in Confederate territory still in rebellion were freed. ...

After the conclusion of hostilities, also at this location, a school was founded in 1868 by General Samuel C. Armstrong as Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, a land grant school. From 1872 to 1875, one of its many students was the young son of a former slave by the name of Booker T. Washington, who became a famous educator and later founded Tuskegee Institute and dozens of schools for African-American children across the south. 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Samuel Chapman Armstrong (January 30, 1839-May 11, 1893) was an American educator and a commissioned Union officer in the American Civil War. ... Land-grant universities (also called land-grant colleges or land grant institutions) are American institutions which have been designated by a Congress to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Booker T. Washington Booker Taliferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 15, 1915) was an African American educator and author. ... There is also the Tuskegee Airmen, a corps of African-American military pilots trained there during World War II Tuskegee University is an American institution of higher learning located in Tuskegee, Alabama. ...

The school became Hampton Institute in 1930 and gained university status in 1984 to become Hampton University. It is one of Virginia's major institution of higher education. There, in the 21st century, the venerable Emancipation Oak still stands to provide both shelter and inspiration to the school's students and staff. 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...