Established in 1610, Hampton is located in the center of Coastal Virginia. Hampton boasts a city rich in history and adventure, from the “Sea to the Stars.” Experience the sands of the wide open beaches on the Chesapeake Bay; tour the waterways on a harbor cruise and gaze at the cosmos at the Virginia Air and Space Science Center. Hampton’s business districts – Downtown, Phoebus and Coliseum Central offer culinary delights, shopping and great meeting and event spaces. A unique setting at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the James River, Hampton has been at the forefront of fundamental milestones in our nation’s history. Experience this rich history by exploring Fort Monroe National Monument, the Hampton History Museum, Aberdeen Gardens and the Emancipation Oak.
Hampton in the American Revolution
The Battle of Hampton: The First Battle of the Revolutionary War outside New England
Fought October 26-27, 1775, the Battle of Hampton was the beginning of the Revolutionary War in Virginia. It was a turning point in Virginia’s transition from resistance to rebellion, and at its heart was a struggle for the meaning and experience of liberty. The Revolutionary War is a key part of Hampton’s “Arc of Freedom.”
The Battle of Hampton was a planned British naval attack on the town of Hampton, thwarted by local soldiers and sailors and troops sent from Williamsburg. Leading up to the battle, British officials demanded return of property taken from a grounded British ship, while local Patriots demanded that British officers return Joseph Harris and other enslaved people who had escaped and sought refuge aboard the British fleet. Joseph Harris was a skilled harbor pilot, and he and other Freedom Seekers played pivotal roles in the battle. Shortly afterward, Lord Dunmore drafted his proclamation formally offering freedom to enslaved people who would join the British.
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