Nine months before former United States President Abraham Lincoln freed all slaves in Confederate states on Jan. 1, 1863, slaves in America's capital city had their own emancipation.
A two-hour parade on Thursday in Washington, D.C. marked the 153rd anniversary of the capital's Emancipation Day, which celebrates the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. The 1862 act unshackled 3,100 former slaves, and provided them with money to leave the capital, if they so desired.
We've rounded up photos from the annual parade, below, and also included several from the 150th anniversary in 2012:
#EmancipationDayDC pic.twitter.com/CkoM2mo10A— Jonathan Rogers (@JRogers202) April 16, 2015
We're getting ready to start the #EmancipationDayDC parade on 4th &Penn NW! We'll see you at the end at Freedom Plaza pic.twitter.com/uZigqq9yDv— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) April 16, 2015
The balcony of the Newseum lined with parade-watching schoolchildren. A good childhood memory. #EmancipationDayDC pic.twitter.com/tloEeaHNln— Greg Carr (@AfricanaCarr) April 16, 2015
Beautiful day for a parade #EmancipationDayDC pic.twitter.com/CWaF2ohvnx— Anita Bonds (@AnitaBondsDC) April 16, 2015
DC marks 153rd anniversary of Emancipation Day with a photo of Nelson Momdela #EmancipationDayDC #slaverywashington pic.twitter.com/vc5SJAISRx— Nasim Fekrat (@NasimFekrat) April 16, 2015
It's a beautiful day for a parade! Happy #EmancipationDayDC! pic.twitter.com/kVATwutzfD— Newseum (@Newseum) April 16, 2015
Proud to march with @MayorBowser and DC residents in #EmancipationDayDC Parade! pic.twitter.com/zMljaWqEvL— Eleanor H. Norton (@EleanorNorton) April 16, 2015
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