All of us learned about Roanoke Island when we studied American History back in Middle School. The island is in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is famous because it was the first English permanent settlement in what became the United States. As a child, I was fascinated by it because when the English sent a relief expedition to the colony all of the English settlers had disappeared. While this part of the history is very well known, the island also played an important role during the Civil War. Enslaved Black people could escape to the island and be free. Fort Raleigh was a Union military base on Roanoke Island after it was captured from the Confederates in 1862.
This is part of my one week-long look at the the newly disclosed set of documents, assembled by the Interior Department, of National Park signage that may be taken down under President Trump’s year-old Executive Order calling for “sanity” in interpreting American history. I will present the exhibits and booklets that the Interior Department suspects may be in violation of President Trump’s order from last year. They tell us which presentations are suspected of being anti-American.
Fort Raleigh was originally set up to interpret the Lost Colony, but in the 21st Century it also has a tour of the Underground Railroad that used Roanoke Island as a safe spot, the establishment of a Freedmen’s Village after the arrival of Union troops during the Civil War, and the recruitment and training of the United States Colored Troops on the island. The site also has two brochures that explain this part of the history of the island. One is for adults titled Freedmen’s Colony and the other is for children. Here is the pamphlet for adults:
The second brochure is the Junior Ranger Book. The Junior Ranger program at many National Parks is a useful way to help children learn about the sites. The child answers questions, does some drawing, and records visits to exhibits or sites withing the park. In this book, about half of the material deal with the Lost Colony and about half are focused on the Freedmen’s Village and the United States Colored Troops. Here are the Civil War sections:
You can see why this Junior Ranger Book may be controversial since it has the children plan their escape from slavery instead of learning to accept this “peculiar institution.”
Apart from the literature at the park there are several panels that may be in violation of the Executive Order. Here is one on Black people and whites working togehter:
Here is a panel on the United State Colored Troops.
Note: The following video is a tour of a talk on Black refugees at Roanoke Island. It is not under consideration for removal-YET.
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