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Fort Raleigh National Historic SiteFirst Map of Roanoke Island
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Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
For Kids

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is a great place for kids. Walk to the restored earthwork and picture yourself as an English soldier keeping watch. Explore the Thomas Hariot Nature Trail and imagine the hardships faced by both the native Algonquian people and the English colonists as they made homes in the wilderness. Discover the variety of plants and animals found throughout the site as scientist Thomas Hariot did in 1585. Pretend to be a Civil War soldier fighting for control of Roanoke Island or a member of the Freedmen’s Colony struggling to begin a new life. Or, see yourself as a park ranger presenting programs on the history and nature found throughout the site.

Freedman Colony reenactor and descendent, John Wise  

Did You Know?
Roanoke Island became a safe haven of Freedom for escaped slaves when the Union seized the island during the Civil War. As a result, the first and largest Freedmen's Colony in North Carolina was established to prepare these African Americans for a new life after the war.
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Last Updated: November 19, 2008 at 16:43 EST