Phoebus in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Samuel Chapman Armstrong

“The education of the Freedmen is the great work of the day.”

— Hampton University —

Samuel Chapman Armstrong Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, February 25, 2021

1. Samuel Chapman Armstrong Marker

Inscription.

Samuel Chapman Armstrong. “The education of the Freedmen is the great work of the day.”. , During the Civil War, a young Army major, upon hearing a reading of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation , came face-to-face with the purpose of his life. Samuel Chapman Armstrong, born of missionary parents in Hawaii on Jan. 30, 1839, acted swiftly on his convictions. He applied for and won the command of a black regiment, which he led with distinction, “My men fell fast but never flinched,” he marveled after a battle. “They fired coolly and won great praise.” Retired as a brigadier general, he threw himself into doing what he could to better the lives of those who had just been liberated.

Armstrong came to Hampton with the Freedman’s Bureau and, in July 1867, applied to the American Missionary Association to open a “Normal” school on the 125-acre farm that existed here. “The education of the Freedmen is the great work of the day,’ he wrote. “It is their only hope, the only power that can lift them as a people.” At first the Association wanted to locate the school on the land now occupied by the Veterans Administration Hospital, but Armstrong was a persuasive, charismatic figure. “We had better let this young man have his way, “ one AMA official concluded.

Armstrong opened the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute on April 1, 1868. With energy and eloquence he traveled across the country, raising money recruiting teachers and hiring top-flight architects to erect many of the buildings that still stand on campus. The school would send thousands of teachers out to educate and lead their people. Ten years later, he opened the Institute to Indian students and inspired the creation of Indian schools throughout the nation. He died on May 11, 1893 and was laid to rest among the graves of his students.

(captions) , Gen. S. Chapman Armstrong, Founder of Hampton Institute Courtesy of the Library of Congress , General Samuel Chapman Armstrong on his horse Courtesy of the Hampton History Museum Cheyne Collection

During the Civil War, a young Army major, upon hearing a reading of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation , came face-to-face with the purpose of his life. Samuel Chapman Armstrong, born of missionary parents in Hawaii on Jan. 30, 1839, acted swiftly on his convictions. He applied for and won the command of a black regiment, which he led with distinction, “My men fell fast but never flinched,” he marveled after a battle. “They fired coolly and won great praise.” Retired as a brigadier general, he threw himself into doing what he could to better the lives of those who had just been liberated.

Armstrong opened the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute on April 1, 1868. With energy and

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eloquence he traveled across the country, raising money recruiting teachers and hiring top-flight architects to erect many of the buildings that still stand on campus. The school would send thousands of teachers out to educate and lead their people. Ten years later, he opened the Institute to Indian students and inspired the creation of Indian schools throughout the nation. He died on May 11, 1893 and was laid to rest among the graves of his students.

(captions)
Gen. S. Chapman Armstrong, Founder of Hampton Institute Courtesy of the Library of Congress
General Samuel Chapman Armstrong on his horse Courtesy of the Hampton History Museum Cheyne Collection

Erected 2010 by The marker is located at Armstrong Hall on the Hampton University campus.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 1, 1868.

Location. 37° 1.271′ N, 76° 20.243′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Phoebus. Marker is on Orchard Road north of Armstrong Road, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located on the Hampton University campus.

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, February 25, 2021

2. Samuel Chapman Armstrong Marker

Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hampton VA 23669, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Hampton Indian Program (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wigwam (about 400 feet away); The Ultimate Sacrifice (about 500 feet away); Hampton University Museum (about 600 feet away); A National Cemetery System (about 600 feet away); Hampton National Cemetery (about 600 feet away); Robert C. Ogden Auditorium (about 600 feet away); Phenix Hall (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.

Also see . . .
1. Visit Hampton Virginia. Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau (Submitted on March 1, 2021.)

2. Samuel Chapman Armstrong. Hampton University (Submitted on March 1, 2021.)

3. Samuel C. Armstrong. Wikipedia (Submitted on March 1, 2021.)

Gen. S. Chapman Armstrong, founder of Hampton Institute image. Click for full size.

circa 1865

3. Gen. S. Chapman Armstrong, founder of Hampton Institute

Library of Congress [LC-DIG-cwpb-05892]

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 28, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3. submitted on March 1, 2021. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.