“E” is for Emancipation Day. The tradition of marking the end of slavery with Emancipation Day celebrations began in South Carolina on January 1, 1863—the day the Emancipation Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln declared three million enslaved persons in the Confederate states to be “thenceforward and forever free.” From the first Emancipation Day celebrations in Port Royal—when thousands of formerly enslaved persons traveled significant distances to enjoy a day of singing, feasting, and oratory, Black Carolinians have invested the holiday with secular and sacred significance. During Reconstruction, the celebrations varied widely in size, location, form, and tone and were means by which African Americans publicly dramatized their newfound freedom. While the number of occasions and participants dwindled after Reconstruction, Emancipation Day celebrations remained vital rituals for South Carolina’s African American community into the twentieth century.
“E” is for Emancipation Day
