Civil War & Beyond (1861 – 1867)

…he first black regiment raised in the North, and hoped to see them march down Manhattan’s Broadway to the music of “Old John Brown.” Colored Citizens, to Arms! Francis & Loutrel. M1975.387.1. Brooklyn Historical Society. After the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, the Union Army began allowing African American men to enlist for the first time. Despite receiving lower wages, poor supplies, and lesser chances for promotion than their…

US Department of Education Resources

…achers and their students, grades 4-12; an original theater piece that premiered at the Irondale Theater in May of 2012; a new website; a public memorial in downtown Brooklyn to honor the anti-slavery movement in Brooklyn; walking tours of Brooklyn’s abolitionists’ and URR sites; and a series of public programs scheduled for the next five years. Legacy of Slavery in Maryland preserves and promotes experiences that have shaped the lives of Marylan…

Abolitionist Brooklyn (1828 – 1849)

…psychological trauma as Cox did not remain an outspoken abolitionist once he relocated to Brooklyn. The Fruits of Amalgamation. E. W. Clay.1839. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society. Teacher’s Manual Section 2: Lesson 9 Critics often demonized abolitionists in the press, by arguing that they promoted miscegenation, or interracial relationships, a sexual perversity in their eyes. In doing so they belittled the abolition movement which rep…

Crisis Decade (1850 – 1860)

1850 marked the beginning of the crisis decade. Territorial gains made from the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) reignited arguments over whether slavery should be allowed to expand in the United States. The Fugitive Slave Law was part of Congress’ attempt to balance the nation’s free and slave state interests. Instead, the line between free and slave blurred entirely and thousands of free black people in Brooklyn and beyond were at the whim of…