A Day or an Hour of Virtuous Liberty…

By Noah Edwards, Collections Assistant

In 1862 Roanoke Island was occupied by Union forces, who freed the local enslaved population. Word quickly spread, “If you can cross the creek to Roanoke Island, you will find ʻsafe haven.’” The population of formerly enslaved people soon surpassed 3,000, precipitating the colony’s official establishment in 1863.

A PHOTOGRAPH OF A FREEDMEN’S SCHOOL IN NEW BERN, TAKEN BY JOHN D. HEYWOOD, circa 1868

Courtesy Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

The colony introduced the steam engine and a sawmill to Roanoke Island. Colony members constructed nearly 600 homes as well as schools decorated with quotes like “this school is for the free” and “a day or an hour of virtuous liberty is worth a whole eternity of bondage.”

The colony struggled to receive rations for its inhabitants due to the island’s remote location and low male population. Many men had enlisted with the Union, leading to the community’s greater reliance on government support.

Following the Civil War, Union occupied land had to be returned to its original owners. As land was reclaimed and government support dwindled, the colony’s population shrank substantially. By the time it disbanded in 1867, the colony’s population had decreased by over half.

The Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony was a bastion of liberty due to the unprecedented level of freedom it allowed its inhabitants.

To learn more about the Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony, please visit Freedom! A Promise Disrupted: North Carolina, 1862–1901 at the Museum of the Albemarle.