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Celebration of the Abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia by Colored People, in Washington, April 19, 1866

Related Link: The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act

Celebration of the Abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia by Colored People, in Washington, April 19, 1866
On April 3, 1862, the Senate passed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, sponsored by Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. Signed into law on April 16, this bill freed all enslaved persons living within the boundaries of the federal district.
credit: Library of Congress