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Abolition of slavery celebration... The Emancipation Parade!



Item # 718126

April 20, 1866

THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 20, 1866
 
* The 1866 celebration of the abolition of slavery within the District of Columbia
* Historically called the "Emancipation Day" parade
 
The front page has one column headings that include: "WASHINGTON NEWS", "The Celebration of the Abolition of Slavery", "A Large and Very Orderly Parade", "Remarks of President Johnson to the Freedmen", and more. Coverage on the 4th anniversary of the abolishment of slavery in the district of Columbia which is now referred to as the "Emancipation Day" parade. Quite historic.
Complete in 8 pages, in good condition.

AI notes: On April 19, 1866, Washington, D.C., hosted a large and highly organized Emancipation Day parade commemorating the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia through the 1862 Compensated Emancipation Act. Thousands of African American men, women, and children marched along Pennsylvania Avenue in a procession that included civic groups, military units, musicians, and banners proclaiming freedom and equality. The parade culminated at Franklin Square, where speakers addressed a crowd estimated at 10,000, offering speeches that celebrated emancipation, honored Abraham Lincoln’s role in ending slavery, and urged continued political engagement and civil rights for the freed population. The celebration featured martial music, cannon salutes, and prominently displayed American flags, symbolizing both national unity and the assertion of newly won citizenship. As one of the earliest post-Civil War emancipation observances, the 1866 parade served not only as a joyful commemoration of freedom but also as a public demonstration of African Americans’ social and political presence during the turbulent Reconstruction era.
 

Category: Post-Civil War