February 27th, 2005 Freedom's Eve was the term used to describe the evening of Dec. 31, 1862, when African American slaves gathered in churches, waiting to see if they would be freed on Jan. 1, 1963, after Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation. No slaves would be freed on that day as Lincoln's move only freed slaves in Confederate states, which he had no control over. States that allowed slavery, but were still a part of the Union were allowed to continue the practice of slavery. The 13th Amendment, enacted in 1865, would finally free the slaves. Interestingly enough, to this day, many African Americans pack churches on New Year's Eve, but have no idea of Freedom's Eve in 1862, when the slaves anxiously awaited their fate. Source: http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-watch31.html Use the arrows at the bottom of the page to see the facts from each day as they are posted. A new fact will be posted each day in February. BCE© Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved