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Under the Freedom Tree

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Under the Freedom Tree

By: Susan VanHecke, London Ladd - Illustrator
Narrated by: Myra Lucretia Taylor
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About this listen

Taut free verse tells the little-known story of the first contraband camp of the Civil War - seen by some historians as the "beginning of the end of slavery in America". 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.

©2014 Susan VanHecke (P)2014 Recorded Books History Literature & Fiction Multicultural Stories North America Poetry Poetry & Nursery Rhymes
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This story is so important about how badly black peoples were treated in the world and they are still being treated badly by many people. This is a must read story. 😃

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