The Promise of Freedom: The Emancipation Proclamation

Commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, this exhibition explored the quintessential ideals that have defined America. Key historical documents from private collectors included Lincoln’s signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, a signed Thirteenth Amendment, and historic broadsides and political cartoons that revealed Lincoln’s struggles with the issue of slavery and the Union. This was the only exhibition in New England that focused on this anniversary, placing the Emancipation Proclamation at the center of understanding American history from the Civil War to Civil Rights and today.

Click here for a PDF of the exhibition labels to learn more about the Emancipation Proclamation, enslavement in the region, and the impact of the Civil War on Fairfield.