Revolutionary Hampton:  Journeys of Liberty
A New, Original Exhibit from the Hampton History Museum
Opening to the Public June 28, 2025

In commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the Hampton History Museum’s newest exhibit explores the story of Hampton during the period, following the journeys of real men and women as they navigated life and work on the front lines to fight for liberty. The Battle of Hampton – Virginia’s first battle of the Revolution – erupted between a British naval fleet and the mariners and town leaders of Hampton. At the heart of the battle were disputes over the meaning of liberty:

• Patriots fighting unfavorable British trade regulations and for freedom of the open sea,
• Enslaved people seeking freedom from bondage,
• British officers and merchants defending the mercantile empire they saw as the best protector of liberty.

Hampton remained on the front lines of the American Revolution, from the Battle of Hampton in 1775 to the American victory at Yorktown in 1781. This exhibit will explore Hampton as the home port of the Virginia Navy, the seafaring exploits of Hampton’s sailors and mariners, the part Hampton played in securing the Commonwealth’s wartime supplies including salt and weapons, and the threat of smallpox epidemics and Hampton’s role as a military medical center. Visitors to the exhibit will follow the stories of individual Patriots, Loyalists, and civilians through the exhibit and an innovative online activity, accessed easily via a smartphone. The exhibit includes hands-on activities, challenging visitors to test their skills as spies, sailors, or military drummer.

 Some of the revolutionary stories highlighted include:

• Cesar Tarrant – He was an enslaved harbor pilot from Hampton who served in the Virginia Navy. Following his skilled and brave service to Virginia during the war, he was returned to slavery and was one of eight Black Patriots to be freed by the General Assembly.
• George Wythe – He was born near Hampton and represented Virginia in the Continental Congress before returning to Virginia to serve in state government and support the war effort.
• Walter McClurg  – He was a former British naval surgeon living in Hampton. He organized several military hospitals in Hampton throughout the war, supporting troops garrisoned at Hampton and the sailors of the Virginia Navy. He also led efforts to fight wartime smallpox outbreaks.
• Joseph Harris – Like Cesar Tarrant, he was an enslaved harbor pilot from Hampton. He escaped to British ships, where he soon became indispensable. Joseph Harris’s fight to be free helped lead to the Battle of Hampton.
• Wilson Curle – He was an early leader among Hampton’s patriots. Before the war, Curle advocated for boycotts of British goods. He served as a colonel in the militia and as a judge on Virginia’s Court of Admiralty.
• Sukey Godfrey – She escaped from slavery to a British ship early in the war. She, her husband Sam, and their three children lived behind British lines in New York and resettled as free people in Nova Scotia at the end of the Revolution.

Follow the Hampton History Museum on Facebook!