Monthly Archives: January 2013

Source: Harper’s Weekly, 31 January 1863 Once the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect in January 1863, slaves escaping to Union lines were no longer in limbo, but effectively free. They might still be called “contraband” but the word no longer … Continue reading →

Thomas Nast, “The Emancipation of the Negroes, January, 1863 – The Past and The Future,” Harper’s Weekly, 24 January 1863. The second anniversary of this blog on January 21 passed without me realizing it until yesterday. For two years, I have … Continue reading →

“Giving Massa Notice,” Harper’s Weekly, 10 January 1863. Source: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1863/january/slave-cartoon.htm The cartoon is captioned: POMPEY. “What day ob de month id dis, Massa?” MASTER. “Twenty-sixth December. Why?” POMPEY. “Oh! cause you knows Massa LINKUM he gib us our Papers on de First January, God bless um; and … Continue reading →

Some of the best material on emancipation in the Civil War is easily accessible due to the hard work of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project (FSSP) at the University of Maryland, founded by my mentor, Ira Berlin, and headed … Continue reading →

Happy 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation! “Like all great historical transformations, emancipation was a process, not a single event. It arose from many causes and was the work of many individuals. It began at the outset … Continue reading →