The Reconstruction Era Begins (December 8, 1863 – March 31, 1877)
The Reconstruction era was the period in American history which lasted from 1863 to 1877. It was a significant chapter in the history of American civil rights. The term has …
African-American
The Emancipation Proclamation Goes into Effect
In the 1857 Dred Scott decision, the U. S. Supreme Court – disregarding the constitutionally-authorized ban – declared that Congress could not interfere with slavery …
The American Civil War Begins and Lasts Over 4 Years. Why Did the South Really go to War?
On April 12, 1861, the war began when Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor forcing its surrender. In response …
The 13th Amendment that Never Was! President Lincoln Sends a Form Letter to All State Governors to Amend the Constitution Guaranteeing States the Right to Own Slaves
The discovery of a letter from newly inaugurated President Abraham Lincoln to the governor of Florida has generated renewed interest in Lincoln’s views toward slavery. …
Under the Oaks Convention: The First Mass Gathering of the Republican Party
In 1854, just after the anniversary of the nation on the 6th of July, an anti-slavery state convention was held in Jackson, Michigan. The hot …
First Republican Party meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin.
This simple frame schoolhouse, built in 1853, holds a powerful history. In the Little White Schoolhouse a decision made by a small group of Ripon …
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass Gives Iconic “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” Speech
Frederick Douglass (1818-95) was a prominent American abolitionist, author and orator. Born a slave, Douglass escaped at age 20 and went on to become a …
Abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, Delivers “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio
Sojourner Truth was a slave-turned abolitionist. She became a Methodist and was called to ministry. Truth delivered a speech entitled “Ain’t I a Woman?” in …
The Importation of Slaves into the United States was Prohibited
WE Americans live in a society awash in historical celebrations. The last few years have witnessed commemorations of the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase (2003) …
St. Thomas African Episcopal Church is Officially Accepted as the First Black Episcopal Parish in the United States by Former Slave, Absalom Jones
In 1762 at the tender age of sixteen, a slave named Absalom Jones witnessed his mother and six siblings sold away while he was brought …