Hampton VA250 commemorates Hampton, Virginia’s role in the 250th anniversary of American independence through events, initiatives, and telling of diverse narratives.
The Hampton VA250 Committee is a local committee of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) to commemorate Virginia’s role in the 250th anniversary of American independence, because as we know, “Virginia’s History is America’s Story”
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.
