On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—which declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free”—went into effect. Below are the words Lincoln used in his declaration. The more frequently he used a word, the larger it appears.
You May Also Like

The Front Line
The First Civil War Monument
On December 5, 1861, the residents of several Philadelphia suburbs gathered at Hatboro, Pennsylvania, to dedicate a monument to the men of their community who had died during the Battle…

The Front Line
The “Light Guard”
Good Morning! Today’s Friday Funny is an 1861 Harper’s Weekly cartoon. Entitled “Costume Suggested for the Brave Stay-at-Home Light Guard,” this sketch mockingly questions the masculinity of Union men who…

The Front Line
A Firearm Transformed
In the first two years of the Civil War, the United States Model 1816/22 .69-caliber smoothbore musket was undoubtedly one of the most issued and most used firearms by both…

The Front Line
…And They’re Off..
In honor of the Kentucky Derby, we bring you this image of Civil War era horse racing (courtesy of Frank Leslie). While not a Stakes Race, this image is from…