Pen of Liberty Postcard

Description

The Pen of Liberty is one of three pens of identical construction which President Abraham Lincoln used in 1862 and 1863 to sign the three proclamations.  This pen was used to sign the first of these three pieces of legislation that emancipated enslaved African Americans.

On April 16, 1862, President Lincoln signed the first document, “An Act for the Release of Certain Persons held to service, or Labor in the District of Columbia” which declared the slaves of Washington, D. C. free.

The second pen was used on June 19, 1862, to sign a document to free the slaves in the territories of the United States (Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico).

The final Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863 . The Emancipation Oak, located on the edge of Hampton University’s campus, was the site in 1863 of the historic reading of the Emancipation Proclamation for the people of Hampton. 

9″w x 6″h