News Release

Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor Added to Underground Railroad Network to Freedom

Date: November 4, 2024
Contact: Brett Spaulding, [phone]

Robert Smalls, featured in Harpers’ Weekly magazine shortly after his famous escape from Charleston Harbor

NPS Photo

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, SC – Fort Sumter & Fort Moultrie National Historical Park is pleased to announce that Fort Sumter, the target of the first shots of the Civil War, has been added to the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. It will be listed under the name “Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor”.
 
This designation reflects the history of escapes from slavery in Charleston during the American Civil War. During the middle of the war, Confederate-held Fort Sumter became an obstacle to overcome for freedom seekers.  Despite this impediment, at least three successful escapes, with at least 42 escapees, successfully passed Fort Sumter to reach United States gunboats or infantrymen. One of these escapes, led by Robert Smalls, is one of the most well-known escapes of the war.
 
As a site administered by the National Park Service, Fort Sumter is an appropriate place to tell the stories of Charleston Harbor’s freedom seekers. This park looks forward to new opportunities to tell these freedom seekers’ stories and remains committed to examining the fort’s links to slavery and the people who helped to end it.
 
Fort Moultrie is located at 1214 Middle Street on Sullivan’s Island. The park represents the history of static seacoast defense in the United States, from the American Revolution to the end of World War II. The park is open daily, and there is a site fee. To visit Fort Sumter, you will need to contact Fort Sumter Tours for ferry tickets at www.fortsumtertours.com. For more information call 843-883-3123, visit www.nps.gov/fosu or follow us on Facebook.
 
  www.nps.gov
 
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ national park sites and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.