Emancipation of some enslaved African Americans in the South became official on January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in areas of armed rebellion against the U.S. government, including North Carolina.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of this momentous occasion, the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources has teamed up with a number of partners to offer a tour of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation beginning at the N.C. Museum of History between May 15 and June 16. Though the document will only be on display at the Museum of History, a traveling exhibit of  schedule for the rest of 2013 is below. Click on the venue name for a map and to get directions.

Date	Venue
July 12 to August 10	Museum of the Cape Fear
August 26 to September 12	Museum of the Albemarle
October 7 to November 2	Bennett College

The department has also collected a number of resources related to Proclamation and its impact on our country's history. Use the "Quick Links" to the right to begin to explore them!