Roanoke Island history...(NC)

This is the northern most end of Roanoke Island. We bicycled here from Fort Raleigh, the small earthworks that remain from the 16th century English fort.

There is so much history here.

To our right a hundred yards stands the earthworks of a Confederate fort.

To our left is an area I think I'm incorrectly calling Freeland. (I can't currently find the correct name.)

As Union troops advanced large numbers of slaves were emancipated. About 6000 settled here and were given an acre of land per family.

Of course, that couldn't be the end of the story. Some signs talk of how great it was for these people to be free. Others talk the same way, but add it was a continuing struggle that is still going on. And somewhere I read after the war the former slaves were ordered off the land.

It was a nice bike ride.