Existing comment:
The Front Lines of Freedom:
Tent cities sprang up across the South as thousands of enslaved people crossed Union lines and forced the issue of freedom. The people had spoken, using one of the few political tools available to enslaved people -- the power of coming together to be heard. The sheer number of African Americans arriving in camps and cities pressured politicians, generals, and the U.S. government to act. Lincoln, personally, witnessed the growth of the tent cities as he crossed Washington, D.C., each day. |