The power of Arlington is not solely found in the many memorials and gravestones in the cemetery, but also in the story of the land and its uses over time by different groups of people, including slaves, soldiers, and freedmen. Arlington's history connects the past with the present, and highlights the land's value as a memorial ground to American freedoms.

It was during and after the Civil War that Arlington House experienced many changes.  The transitional phases which the estate went through during the Civil War from 1861-1865 are detailed in these pages, as the land was transformed from a plantation estate into an Army encampment, community for emancipated slaves, and a cemetery.