Tour of Fragile 13th Amendment Document Ending Slavery

In case you missed it! Celebrate Juneteenth by going to see NC’s copy of the 13th Ammendment .
In case you missed it! Celebrate Juneteenth by going to see NC’s copy of the 13th Ammendment .

Many African Americans consider Juneteenth (June 19) the date in 1865 when the last slaves learned that the 13th Amendment had been passed—and they were free.

As part of the observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, North Carolina’s copy of the 13th Amendment is traveling to six historic sites between June 5 and 21, 2014, under the auspices of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR).

The U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment on Jan. 31, 1865, and ratified it on Dec. 6, 1865. Southern states had to ratify the amendment to be readmitted to the union, and it took the NC legislature exactly ten years to do so, on Dec. 6, 1875.

The state’s copy of the document is stored in a climate-controlled vault of the State Archives of North Carolina. It was on exhibit last summer at the N.C. Museum of History, but this will be the first time the document has traveled outside of Raleigh.

“Viewing the 13th Amendment is a powerful way to bear witness to the call for human equality and the call for freedom,” observed NC Arts Council Senior Program Director Michelle Lanier, who also is director of the NC African American Heritage Commission. “I plan to view this sacred and groundbreaking document as a way of paying homage to all those who were in legal bondage in our state and to all those who continue to strive for liberation.”

Exhibit Sites

Exhibit sites are Historic Stagville in Durham and the Vance Birthplace in Weaverville, where original slave cabins exist; and Somerset Place in Creswell, where reproduction cabins have been built. Other venues on the tour are Historic Edenton, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum in Sedalia, and the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center in Kinston. It will be at each venue for one day only.

“As we approach the 150th anniversary of the creation of this important, nation-changing document, [the Department] feels it is only appropriate to carry it from Raleigh to exhibit in very symbolic locations,” explained NCDCR Secretary Susan Kluttz. “I think it is especially important that we are showcasing this freedom document in slave cabins at three of the state historic sites.”

“Although the State Archives is guardian of the most prized documents of North Carolina, we are pleased to partner with state historic sites to bring one of the state’s treasures to the people,” said State Archivist Sarah Koonts. “We are excited our citizens will have the opportunity to celebrate this document and its ratification nearly 150 years ago.”

“The 13th Amendment wasn’t just a symbol of freedom; it was indissoluble proof that equality means nothing if it is not meant for all,” said Governor McCrory. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of this rare exhibition to view one of the most important documents in our history.”

13th Amendment Tour

June 5 – Historic Edenton Courthouse, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

June 6 – Somerset Place, Creswell, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

June 12 – Vance Birthplace, Weaverville, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

June 13 – Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Sedalia Kimball Hall,
11 a.m.-7 p.m.

June 14 – Historic Stagville, Durham, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

June 21 – CSS Neuse Interpretive Center, Kinston, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

For additional information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov/Juneteenth, or call (919) 807-7389.

The traveling exhibit is a collaboration between the State Archives of N.C., the N. C. Division of State Historic Sites, the N.C. Museum of History and the N.C. African American Heritage Commission.