The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation announces a change in war policy

The Supreme Court rejected Dred Scott’s freedom claim and declared that people of African descent could not be US citizens under its interpretation of the Constitution. His struggle exposed racism...

Sarah Parker Remond spoke in Warrington about enslavement and its consequences, including the treatment of women. A Black woman addressed international audiences in her own voice. Her campaigning...

British forces attacked Te Kohia pā after resistance to the disputed Waitara purchase. Wiremu Kīngi opposed the sale of land over which others also held rights. Colonial insistence on taking...

Māori defenders defeated British troops near Waitara during the First Taranaki War. Their use of terrain and prepared defenses supported resistance to colonial land acquisition. The victory...

The District of Columbia Emancipation Act ended slavery in Washington. The law compensated loyal enslavers and encouraged voluntary emigration. Its provisions illustrate the limits of reform that...

The proclamation declared freedom for enslaved people in designated Confederate territory and opened military service to Black men. It did not abolish slavery everywhere. Freedom seekers and Black...

A Union operation guided by Harriet Tubman reached plantations along the Combahee River and enabled hundreds to escape slavery. The raid began the previous night. Local knowledge and Black...

British forces crossed the Mangatāwhiri boundary into Waikato, beginning the invasion of Kīngitanga territory. Māori resistance defended land and autonomous political organization. Military conquest...

British forces assaulted the defensive line at Rangiriri during the Waikato invasion. Māori defenders contested the advance into their territory. The battle connects military resistance to a wider...

After the battle at Rangiriri, British forces took Māori defenders prisoner. The circumstances of the white flag and surrender remain important to interpretations of the event. Their detention...