Tag: william seward

Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863

by hparkins, posted in - Civil War

Today’s blog post comes from National Archives social media intern Anna Fitzpatrick. On the first day of the new year in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, declaring freedom for slaves in parts of the Confederacy that had not yet come under Union control. Historian John Hope Franklin described the day: [It] was a … Continue reading Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863

Seward’s time-traveling folly

by hparkins, posted in - Civil War, Myth or History

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. One hundred forty three years ago today, the people of Alaska went to bed under the Russian flag, and awoke under the Stars and Stripes. They also woke up eleven days in the future. The purchase of Alaska was not … Continue reading Seward’s time-traveling folly