‘When Freedom Came’ Tells Stories of Sacrifice and Choice

Everyone knows that Abraham Lincoln freed all the slaves … or did he?

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln in 1863 did indeed free slaves in the Confederate states. The proclamation, issued as the third year of the Civil War approached, stated “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

But not all states were in rebellion. The proclamation applied to slaves in some states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, but not others – Maryland and Delaware, for example.

Despite these limits, the executive order was a positive turning point and a cause for hope for the enslaved who were not yet freed.

Freedom came in different ways to different places

The process of freedom took a long time - sometimes months or even years. Some parts of the country’s economy were entirely dependent on slave labor, and turning that around was not simple or quick.

Some slaves chose to cast their lot with the Union army, and those who did were not forced to return to their owners. Instead, they were classified as “contraband of war” and makeshift housing camps began to spring up around the army’s encampments. While not fully free, in a state of legal limbo, these formerly enslaved people viewed staying with the Union army as a step in freedom’s direction.

A program called “When Freedom Came” examines how enslaved people’s everyday choices helped bring about their freedom. The Electronic Field Trip, designed for children in grades 4 through 8, combines a live broadcast with interactive resources that allow students to ask questions or participate in live online polls.

The drama follows the lives of Rose, a slave in the Williamsburg, Va., household of Mrs. Bacon. Rose’s children Jim and Eliza are also featured, along with Rose’s brother Tom and his wife Jemma.

Free or enslaved, Rose knew she must find work and the security Mrs. Bacon provided was important to her.

Tom and Jemma chose another path. Desperate for freedom, they ran to the Union contraband camp in Yorktown.

“Some of the characters in the story run away to the camps and some do not,” said Abigail Schumann, who directed and produced “When Freedom Came.”

“One of the things I hope we demonstrate with the program is that the choice was not easy - whether you chose to run or to stay, the reasons were just as valid.”

“It’s easy for kids to say, ‘I would have run away.’ When you see the character Rose weighing all the reasons to stay, it makes a lot of sense. You understand why people stayed where they were,” Schumann added.

Would you sacrifice your freedom for security?

“The challenge with any story that has to do with slavery is to create a truthful drama that is very often painful and uncomfortable for people to receive. I think Carson Hudson’s script does just that. His characters bring personal perspectives to a national story,” Schumann said.

Some 150 years later, it’s difficult to understand why people could be allowed to live in bondage and be considered property. This program attempts to help the audience feel the emotions and understand the culture of the time.

“Nobody showed up on set saying that this is just another job for the day. We had good actors and they were moved by the story, the history.” Schumann added. “It’s wonderful to work with actors that recognize the importance of the stories we tell.”

As the narrator explains, “It was a beginning of the end.” It wasn’t until 1865, after the end of the Civil War, that slavery was legally abolished by the 13^th Amendment. Further progress was made when 14^th and 15^th amendments brought citizenship to former slaves, and recognized the right of African American men to vote.

But the question of racial equality - and whether it’s been achieved - is still being debated in America.

The extensive history resources created for the Electronic Field Trips are now available for on-demand year-round access by subscription in HERO, Colonial Williamsburg’s online multimedia library and e-learning environment for teachers and students.