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Visit a Gateway > By Theme > Best Gateways For…
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The Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network has something for everyone - from special parks and museums to historic communities, land and water trails. Each month, the Network highlights some of its sites that offer you a unique look at life on the Chesapeake. These thematic lists can help you explore the Network and experience your Chesapeake. |
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 In honor of Black History Month, visit these Gateways to experience the culture and history of Africans and African Americans living on or near the Chesapeake Bay. Explore antebellum plantations and former slave quarters, visit former slave ports and trading towns, or take a ride along the Underground Railroad to see how many found freedom in the North.
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Fell's Point Historic District - Baltimore, MD
Visitors can tour Fell’s Point in Baltimore, Maryland, to learn about its history as a center for privateering and slave trade. This harborside community was home to Frederick Douglass from 1826 to 1838, when he escaped north to freedom; and home to the nation’s first African-American owned maritime railway. |
Historic Annapolis Gateway - City Dock - Annapolis, MD
During the 1700s, Annapolis, Maryland, was a bustling Chesapeake Bay port with vessels sailing in to trade from all over the world; one of the major forms of trade occurring there was slave trade. Visit the historical port to see where this trading took place, and explore restored mansions like the William Paca House to see the former slave quarters. |
Sotterley Plantation - Hollywood, MD
Sotterley Plantation, located on the banks of the Patuxent River, is the only remaining Tidewater Plantation in Maryland open to the public. Designated a National Historic Landmark, the site includes the early 18th century Manor House, a rare slave cabin, and a full array of outbuildings on 70 acres of rolling fields, gardens, and riverfront. |
Stratford Hall Plantation - Stratford, VA
The historic home of the Virginia Lees and the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, the Stratford Hall Plantation is located an hour south of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Plantation was – at various points in its history – home to nearly 200 slaves. Visit this Gateway to learn about the antebellum Virginia history through surviving slave inventories, Lee family documents and town records while touring the Plantation, outbuildings, plantation grounds and gardens. |
Underground Railroad Scenic Byway - Cambridge, MD
The 64-mile Underground Railroad Scenic Byway on the Eastern Shore of Maryland highlights the life of Harriet Tubman, the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, the route through which many African Americans found their freedom. From Dorchester County, witness scenes from Tubman’s early life then follow the trail north through Caroline County, where many Maryland free blacks and white abolitionists supported the cause of freedom. |
USS Constellation Museum - Baltimore, MD
The last standing Civil War vessel, the USS Constellation was the final sailing warship constructed by the US Navy. Patrolling the waters to intercept slave ships, the USS Constellation was the flagship of an anti-slavery patrol. |
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