“Emancipation Observance”

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When the enslaved people of the West Indies gained their freedom in 1838, the African American community of Boston celebrated this event and continued to do so throughout the 19th century. Occasionally these events occurred at the African Meeting House. This newspaper headline marks the 61st anniversary of the emancipation of the enslaved people of the West Indies.

Questions to Consider

1. Why do you think it was important for the Boston African American community to commemorate this emancipation anniversary?
2. Do you see any similarities or differences in how we respond to world events today?
3. What events or anniversaries are important to you? How do you commemorate them?

Transcription

EMANCIPATION OBSERVANCE.

Colored People to Celebrate Notable Anniversary.

Sixty-One Years Ago 800,000 Slaves in the British West Indies Were Set Free — Something About the Early Jubilee Gatherings in This City and Vicinity.”