Read to learn about a professor who recently found one of the only manuscripts known to be written by a slave during his bondage. The professor has preserved the document by creating a digital version of the manuscript in its original form.
Category Archives: The Move Toward Freedom
‘What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’ Frederick Douglass, Revisited
In 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a famous speech criticizing the celebration of Independence Day in a time of slavery. This article suggests that Douglass’ speech is as relevant today as it was before slavery was abolished in the United States.
Grad Student Discovers A Lost Novel Written By Walt Whitman
Click this link to find out how an unknown novel written by poet Walt Whitman was recently discovered and to read a short excerpt from the manuscript.
Final Confederate statue coming down in New Orleans
In May 2017, New Orleans took down a statue of General Robert E. Lee that had stood for 133 years. Read to learn more about the city government’s reasons for removing the statue and the public disagreement about the decision.
Slave Rebellions: A Timeline
How did enslaved people fight against their condition? This timeline gives information about the major escape operations and rebellions from slavery that occurred in the Western Hemisphere.
New photo shows ‘beautiful, resilient’ Harriet Tubman
A recently discovered photograph shows Harriet Tubman as a young woman. Click on this link to learn about the historical significance of the photo.
Alabama Senate Passes Confederate Monuments Bill
Should Confederate monuments be preserved? Some people believe they are important memorials to American history, while others find them offensive or see them as symbols of slavery. Read to learn how the governments of Alabama and other southern states have handled this issue.
Fleeing To Dismal Swamp, Slaves And Outcasts Found Freedom
This article explains how archaelogists and historians have learned about the lives of runaways who escaped slavery by hiding in the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina.
Black soldier’s letter offers rare view of Civil War
Click this link to learn about the only known document in which an African-American Union soldier describes a significant Civil War battle.
5 things you didn’t know about Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass is well known for his autobiography and speeches and for his work as an abolitionist. This article sheds light on some of the other accomplishments and complexities of this remarkable figure in American history.
Slavery in America
Read this article to learn about how slavery came to the United States and about the fight to abolish it. From this page, you can also watch videos and browse links to other related topics, such as important historical figures of the time, the American Civil War, and the abolitionist movement.
How Samuel Mudd Went From Lincoln Conspirator to Medical Savior
Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Lincoln and was convicted for conspiring with him, was sent to prison at Fort Jefferson on an island in the Gulf of Mexico. He is credited with saving dozens of lives from an outbreak of yellow fever on the island.
Who Was John Wilkes Booth Before He Became Lincoln’s Assassin?
Before John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln, he was a talented and popular actor. This article takes a look at his life prior to his assassination of the president.
Rare Walt Whitman letter, written for a dying soldier, found in National Archives
During the Civil War, poet Walt Whitman made a habit of visiting sick and wounded soldiers in hospitals. Read to find out how a volunteer at the National Archives recently discovered a letter written by the poet on behalf of a dying Union soldier.
Top 10 Civil War Innovations: Slide Show
One overlooked positive aspect of the deadly Civil War was the large number of inventions and innovations the conflict spurred.
In the 1800s, a freed slave built bridges across the South
Horace King, a freed slave in early 1900’s was known for his sophisticated bridge-building technique. With the man who freed him, John Goodwin, he built covered bridges across what became the Confederate States of America.
How the Civil War Changed Modern Medicine
In 1861 scientists hadn’t actually discovered that germs cause diseases, and doctors didn’t know they should wash their hands! But over the course of the Civil War, this changed and there were many advancements in medical care.
Battle Lines: A Graphic History of the Civil War
Award-winning historian Ari Kelman and the acclaimed graphic novelist Jonathan Fetter-Vorm produced this graphic novel about the civil war. Scroll down the page to access and read the book online.
The Star-Spangled Banner
Explore this interactive American flag which was originally made by hand in 1813 by Mary Pickersgill. Find out about its history by selecting the hotspots and learn about preservation plans for future generations.
The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of safe houses and people who helped slaves to freedom. Using this online interactivity, step back to 1860 and experience life as a young slave as he flees a Kentucky plantation for a long and dangerous journey to Canada.