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Illusions of Emancipation: The Pursuit of Freedom and Equality in the Twilight of Slavery
  • Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2019
  • Time: 5:00 pm
  • Location: William G. McGowan Theater, Washington, DC

In Illusions of Emancipation, professor Joseph P. Reidy discusses how emancipation was not only a product of Lincoln’s proclamation or Confederate defeat. It was a process. Slavery did not die quietly or quickly, nor did it fulfill every dream of the enslaved or their allies. It unfolded unevenly bringing drastic change, sensations of disorientation, and disrupted lives, but it through it all, the former enslaved maintain the ideal that the struggle for freedom would result in victory.

A book signing will follow the program. Purchase this book on the day of the event from the National Archives Store and receive a 15% discount (members get 20% off).

All public programs at the National Archives are free and streamed live online via the National Archives’ YouTube channel. Reservations are recommended; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. Click here for more information on getting to the National Archives and parking.

Live captioning will be available online and in the William G. McGowan Theater. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for an event (such as a downloadable transcript or a sign language interpreter), please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202.357.5000 in advance.

Members at the National Archives Foundation often receive advance notice of public programs, invitations to special events, and a 10% discount at the National Archives Store. Learn more and join today!