The capture of Fort Pulaski on the mouth of the Savannah River had many significant implications. When the fort surrendered on April 11, 1862, it closed the port of Savannah. Accordingly, cotton exports had to be transported to Charleston or Wilmington to reach European markets

Matthew Henson was the first African American to reach and stand on one of earth’s farthest reaches – the North Pole. Hear about his adventures in his own words from his 1912 autobiography, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole.

Year two of the B-WET grant program has been full of excitement. This year has been an extension of year one, engaging with local Newport News high schoolers, their teachers, and local environmental partners.

Hidden Histories will give names, agency, and interpretation of the unidentified Black people depicted in our Collections.

The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff was a dramatic Confederate victory. Richmond was under immediate threat of being captured or at least shelled and destroyed by the Union flotilla, but the cannoneers at Drewry’s Bluff prevented the capital from capture.

In this edition of Beyond the Frame, we'll explore Samuel Ward Stanton's narrative dual-ship portrait from 1909 featuring steamships Trojan and Rensselaer as the ships steam along the Hudson River under the light of a full moon. Explore the influences of the passionate artist's life and learn about the "Searchlight route" as we step into this scene in the summer of 1909.