Emancipation Oak

Emancipation Oak is a Southern live oak tree located on Hampton University grounds near Fort Monroe with horizontal branches that spread widely from its trunk. The tree creates a large sheltered canopy beneath which gatherings and teaching activities could take place.

In 1861, Mary Smith Peake began teaching children of freed slaves beneath the tree, marking the first organized learning activities at the site. By 1863, African Americans gathered here to hear the first Southern reading of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Mary Smith Peake taught children of freed slaves beneath this tree starting in 1861, defying laws that prohibited Black education in Virginia. The location became a symbol of resistance against restrictions on learning opportunities for African Americans.

The tree sits on the university campus, which is open to public visits as part of Hampton University National Historic Site. Visitors can walk around the grounds and explore the location during campus operating hours.

The tree's horizontal branches create a natural open-air classroom structure that has served as a teaching space since the Civil War era. This physical arrangement made the site ideal for gatherings, as the spreading canopy naturally provided shelter and defined a gathering space.