National Park Service

Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom

June 12, 2020

June 19, 1865, was a day that not only changed the lives of tens of thousands of slaves in the United States, it also marked the change of our country’s history. Slavery was abolished on January 1, 1863, by President Lincoln’s Executive Order known as the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though there was no legal right or justification for slavery to continue after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, many slave owners continued the practice.

Sailing from Slavery into History

November 21, 2019

By Luana M. Graves Sellars Artwork by Sonja Griffin Evans You might have already heard

National Park Service Adds Mitchelville Freedom Park To The Network Of Freedom

June 24, 2019

Hilton Head Island has been recognized as the only place in South Carolina for its historical importance in the Underground Railroad with three areas of membership: The Heritage Library, Mitchelville and Fort Howell, which is located within Mitchelville.

Hilton Head’s Ancestral Impact on the Black Community

June 24, 2019

Being a part of the National Network of Freedom is an incredible opportunity for Hilton Head for a variety of reasons. One important reason is that it makes Hilton Head’s historical value an even greater part of the American story. Mitchelville is a strong piece of America’s history that needs to be shared.

BEAUFORT COUNTY, South Carolina

June 23, 2019

Beaufort County, South Carolina has a rich cultural history. Home to the towns of Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal and Beaufort, the county was instrumental during and after the Civil War.

Mitchelville: America’s First Self-Governed Town for Freed Slaves

May 23, 2019

By Luana M. Graves Sellars Cover artwork American Gullah By Sonja Griffin Evans “Good colored