The Illinois Freedom Project "a new birth of freedom"

02/18/2022

A new digital exhibit by Northwestern University scholars profiles the lives of 25 Black men and women who were active in the struggle for racial justice in 19th-century Illinois. They responded to Illinois’ most oppressive Black law by organizing the first statewide political gathering of Black I...

02/17/2022

Dr. Lionel Kimblr, Jr. shares Black History Month's origins in Chicago at the Wabash Y, why Chicago was the "center of the Black world" in the 20th Century, ...

02/14/2022

It’s hard to miss the art that showcases Black history at the African American museum of Southern Illinois. It’s on their walls, on displays, and even booklets.

02/04/2022

02/01/2022

On January 31, 1865, the House of Representatives approved sending the 13th Amendment to the states by a vote of 119 to 56. Later that day, Senator Lyman Trumbull, who co-authored the amendment, telegraphed Governor Richard J. Oglesby, notifying him that the House had voted to send it to the states for ratification and urging quick action. On February 1, both the Illinois House and Senate met in the State House—-now the Old State Capitol—-approved a joint resolution to ratify the amendment. Governor Oglesby immediately signed the resolution and Illinois became the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment.

Image: Illinois State Archives

01/25/2022

An outgrowth of an educational program that engages young people with African American history in Illinois, The Illinois Freedom Project exhibition traces Black Illinoisans’ struggles for freedom from the French Colonial era to early-20th-century Chicago. Found in the Library's Audio Visual/Period...

01/25/2022

United States Colored Troops at Camp Nelson

Once the US Army authorized the formation of US Colored Infantry (USCT) regiments in Kentucky in early June 1864, waves of enslaved men began to self-emancipate by enlisting at Camp Nelson. The five months of June through October were the most significant period of recruitment at Camp Nelson, with thousands of African Americans volunteering at the army base. One of the men securing their freedom during this peak recruiting time was Henry Graham, a 25-year-old from Mercer County. Graham enlisted as a private in the 5th US Colored Cavalry (USCC) on September 14, 1864.

The 5th USCC was one of the only six Black cavalry units organized by the US Army during the Civil War. The regiment would fight in battles at Saltville in southwestern Virginia in October and December, but Graham did not participate in these operations. Instead, between early October and the end of 1864, Graham was on detached service. Graham was assigned to duty at Point Burnside, also known as Point Isabel or Camp Burnside, a Federal military encampment and supply base on the Cumberland River in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

In January 1865, Graham rejoined the 5th USCC, which performed garrison duty at Camp Nelson and numerous other places in Kentucky until the end of the summer. Graham would only serve with his regiment for a few months, however, as he died of disease at the Camp Nelson hospital on March 28, 1865. Like so many enslaved African Americans, Camp Nelson was not only the site of Graham’s emancipation and enlistment, but also his hospitalization and death. Graham is currently buried in Camp Nelson National Cemetery, but unfortunately his gravestone is incorrectly inscribed with March 27 as his date of death.

To learn more about US Colored Troops at Camp Nelson, please visit the park website:
https://www.nps.gov/cane/united-states-colored-troops.htm

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom



IMAGE:
Grave of Private Henry Graham, Co. H, 5th United States Colored Cavalry at Camp Nelson National Cemetery.
White Headstone that reads: Henry Graham, CO H, 5 US CLD CAV, March 27, 1865. Grass and other white headstones can be seen in the background.
Courtesy: National Park Service [CB]

12/29/2021

12/10/2021

🤔 Did you know we partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America on hands-on programs called “Ultimate Journeys?” Let’s to the summer of 2017 when youth through the Illinois Freedom Journeys visited historic sites and museums in Illinois, including Pullman National Monument, National Park Service!

The Illinois Freedom Project is a youth focused multimedia effort that includes a web site, videos, printed materials, curriculum, and a traveling exhibit. Together, these resources present the stories of everyday people in Illinois who struggled against slavery and prejudice covering over 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ years of Illinois history. The hope is that The Illinois Freedom Project will inspire youth by presenting stories of victory through adversity. The State Historic Sites at Springfield (Illinois Department of Natural Resources) is the primary partner in this effort along with the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. In February 2019, they launched the Illinois Freedom Project traveling exhibit initiative.

Learn more ➡️ https://www.lookingforlincoln.org/education/freedom/

View the video summary of the program ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIhye7jCxtw&feature=youtu.be

Check out the NPS-BGCA Ultimate Journey programs ➡️ https://www.bgca.org/programs/education/ultimate-journey

📸 Courtesy of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois from left to right: Illinois Freedom Project Summer 2017 "Freedom Journey" visit to the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum in Chicago, Illinois;
Illinois Freedom Project Summer 2017 "Freedom Journey" visit to the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, Illinois; Illinois Freedom Project Summer 2017 "Freedom Journey" visit to the The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, in Chicago, Illinois

11/10/2021

There are many voices in the Old State Capitol, voices that shape the meaning of freedom. History connects us with those voices so that we can be inspired to make a difference in the world today and in the future.