eVideo
hoopla Instant
Under the Freedom Tree
Year
2014
Language
ENGLISH
Duration
9m
Rating
NR
CC
Performers
Susan Van Hecke, J. D. Jackson, London Ladd
Publication Information
Dreamscape Media
Summary
One night in 1861, three escaped slaves made their way from the Confederate line to a Union-held fort. The runaways were declared "contraband of war" and granted protection. As word spread, thousands of runaway slaves poured into the fort, seeking their freedom. These "contrabands" made a home for themselves, building the first African American community in the country. In 1863, they bore witness to one of the first readings of the Emancipation Proclamation in the South - beneath the sheltering branches of the tree now known as Emancipation Oak.