Seeking Freedom: The Untold Story of Fortress Monroe and the Ending of Slavery in America
SEEKING FREEDOM THE UNTOLD STORY OF FORTRESS MONROE AND THE ENDING OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA Illustrated by E. B. Lewis CALKINS CREEK AN IMPRINT OF ASTRA BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS New York Selene Castrovilla
I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists I believe I have no lawful right to do so and I have no inclination to do so President Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address March 4 1861
When President Abraham Lincoln When took office on March 4 1861 seven Southern states had left the United States He prayed that his address would convince the remaining four Southern states to stay but plantation owners who depended on enslaved labor didn't believe Lincoln One by one these states deserted to join the new Confederate States of America waging war against their former country War broke out on April 12 1861 On April 17 1861 Virginia abandoned the United States When the enslaved people in Virginia heard the news they knew that their families would be separated the men dragged farther south and forced into hard labor digging trenches building fortifications and hauling weapons to prepare for battle They were desperate to prevent this They would do anything to be free Throughout the book the word Negro is used for historical reasons It was a term used in the nineteenth century and found in historical documentation I have also used the original language of the Confiscation Acts and Emancipation Proclamation nineteenth century historical documents Today slave and fugitive are considered dehumanizing enslaved and freedom seekers are preferred
