Are people born free? Do governments give rights to citizens or do citizens give-up some rights in exchange for good government? These are stories about people seeking and achieving their civil rights.
The governments list of witnesses, including Beverly W. Jones. Click on the image for a clearer view.
Image of Thomas Jefferson's letter to Benjamin Banneker, dated August 30, 1791. Here is the transcription of this letter: To Mr. BENJAMIN BANNEKER...
Image of a pamphlet entitled Thoughts Upon Slavery, by John Wesley in 1778. Founder of the Methodist church, Wesley despised slavery, particular...
Page from the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano (also known as "Gustavus Vassa, The African"). Here Equiano tells us what it was like to be seasick ab...
The trial of Florence Maybrick was widely covered by the newspapers of the day. This image depicts one such article. It was published by T...
Amendment XIII to the U.S. Constitution - Slavery Abolished as a Legal Institution in AmericaSection 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, e...
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted African-American men—including former slaves who had become U.S. citizens via the 14th Amend...
When Congress passed a resolution giving African-American men the right to vote, via the 15th Amendment, suffragists were extremely upset that the wor...
Runaway slaves could never really be sure whom they could trust. Wesley Harris is a case in point. William Still includes Wesley's story in The...
This text image continues the story of Wesley Harris, a runaway slave who was betrayed by someone who acted like a helper. The story is containe...
During the 1930s, the federal government hired writers to obtain the oral histories of former slaves. William Moore was one of those interviewee...
New York State held a referendum on women's suffrage in 1915. People on both sides of the issue held rallies, published ads and generally argued...
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