Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
A Land Divided
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 22, 2020
1. A Land Divided Marker
You are standing near what was once an international border. During the Civil War, the peak to your left lay within the Union state of Maryland. Loudoun Heights to the right was claimed by the Confederate state of Virginia. Slavery divided the nation, and here at Harpers Ferry the two sides clashed over the meaning of freedom.
The struggle of today is not altogether for today—it is for a vast future also.
Abraham Lincoln
[Captions:]
Both the Union and Confederate armies used the field in front of you as a campground and training field at different times during the war.
Thousands of formerly enslaved African Americans flocked to Union camps at Harpers Ferry to seek the protection of the Union army. Classified as contraband, they faced an uncertain future.
Virginia
Virginia's secession from the Union divided North from South along the Potomac River. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Harpers Ferry was home to the national armory and passageway for major railroad lines. These assets made it an important prize of war to both sides.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
this page online
Location. 39° 19.46′ N, 77° 44.438′ W. Marker is in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in Jefferson County. It is on Fillmore Street just east of Storer College Place, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 51 Mather Pl, Harpers Ferry WV 25425, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in the Eastern Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Foundations of Freedom (a few steps from this marker); Storer College Veterans Memorial Gate (within shouting distance of this marker); That was the happiest time of my life. (within shouting distance of this marker); The Niagara Movement (within shouting distance of this marker); The Second Meeting of the Niagara Movement (within shouting distance of this marker); Virginia Lodge No. 1 (within shouting distance of this marker); Stephen Tyng Mather (within shouting distance of this marker); Camp Hill (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harpers Ferry.
Other markers no longer nearby. A Land Divided (has been replaced with this marker); Camp Hill during the Civil War
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 22, 2020
2. A Land Divided Marker
The Niagara Movement Marker can be seen at the left.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 340 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 22, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
