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12/31/1852 • 12 views

Freedom’s Eve: The First "Watch Night"

Freedom’s Eve

Waiting for the Stroke of Midnight On December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes for what became known as "Watch Night."

Waiting for the Stroke of Midnight On December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes for what became known as "Watch Night." They were waiting for the clock to strike midnight, the moment the Emancipation Proclamation would officially take effect. It was a night of prayer and profound anticipation. When the new year began, the legal status of over 3 million enslaved people in the Confederate states changed forever, marking the dawn of a new era of American liberty.

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