Prior to the war and despite the growing abolitionist movement, discriminatory laws against black citizens were common in the North. Known as “black laws,” the regulations often prevented blacks from voting, serving on juries, testifying in court against a white person or signing contracts. Freedom, in short, while real nonetheless came with restrictions for black…
One of the largest meeting rooms in Richmond is the sanctuary of the African Baptist Church. Accordingly, the church is often rented out for large city functions and events. Today, a crowd assembles at the African Baptist Church to hear Confederate President Jefferson Davis give a public speech, a discourse that proves to be among…
In the Battle of Hatcher’s Run, Virginia that begins this day, Union forces fail to cut off several Confederate supply routes during the Siege of Petersburg. The fighting goes on for three days in a pitched battle, after which the two sides settle back down into their former positions. The Federals, however, do manage to…