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Tag: District of Columbia Emancipation Act

A Capital Celebration: The National Archives Commemorates DC Emancipation

While Union and Confederate forces clashed on southern battlefields in 1862, a historic piece of legislation ended “the national shame” of slavery in the nation’s capital. The District of Columbia Emancipation Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on April 16, 1862. The legislation provided for immediate emancipation and monetary compensation to former [...]