Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
In 1820, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, which admitted Missouri into the nation as a slave state and Maine as a free state. The Compromise established the...
Married at 80
While many slave couples formed lasting bonds during their enslavement, slave marriages had no legal foundation or protection. The abolishment of slavery not only...
Mr. and Mrs. Bunel
While many slave couples formed lasting bonds during their enslavement, slave marriages had no legal foundation or protection. The abolishment of slavery not only...
Not so fast
On May 9, 1862, Gen. David Hunter declared all slaves in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida “forever free” and authorized them to serve in the U.S. Army....
Pennsylvanians reject slavery
This petition asked Congress to abolish slavery within the United States and to block the admission of any new state that allowed slavery within its borders....
Reclaiming Property?
This is an arrest warrant for Moses Honnor, a slave from Virginia who escaped to Pennsylvania in August 1859. It is part of the court record documenting his owner’s...
Record of Marriages
While many slave couples formed lasting bonds during their enslavement, slave marriages had no legal foundation or protection. The abolishment of slavery not only...