Emancipation Proclamation: Flight to Freedom

Today's blog post comes from National Archives social media intern Anna Fitzpatrick. Before the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, many men and women in bondage ran away from their owners to freedom. These escape attempts were dangerous, and not all of them were successful. Abolitionists sometimes helped slaves in their flight to freedom, like these … Continue reading Emancipation Proclamation: Flight to Freedom

Emancipation Proclamation: Petitioning for Freedom

Today's blog post comes from National Archives social media intern Anna Fitzpatrick. January 1 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. While this document is remembered for freeing the slaves in the Southern states, petitioners had been attempting to end slavery since the nation’s founding. Petitions by anti-slavery groups were sent to the newly … Continue reading Emancipation Proclamation: Petitioning for Freedom