History
The Chesapeake region has been around for a very long time. Many tend to begin its history with the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. But the story of the Bay began millions of years before that.
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African Americans in the Chesapeake
Discover how African-American history shaped the culture and economy of the Chesapeake Bay, from the 1600s to today.
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Captain John Smith
Travel along on the voyage of Captain John Smith, an English explorer who journeyed through the Chesapeake Bay.
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Civil War
Study how the Bay and its rivers and streams played a pivotal role in many Civil War battles—both on land and water.
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Indigenous Peoples of the Chesapeake
Learn about the culture and day-to-day life of the Chesapeake Bay region’s earliest human residents.
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Pirates
Climb aboard the ship of a pirate to learn how Blackbeard, the Davis trio and others carved out their own slice of Bay history.
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Shipwrecks
Look back at the way people lived, worked and traveled on the Bay by uncovering the details of historic sunken ships.