Depicting Slavery and CW history: A picture is worth a thousand words

Pictures and drawings can really help you place yourself in your ancestors shoes. The popular search engines have directed people to About Our Freedom looking for photographs of African Americans during the Civil War and slavery. I thought I would oblige by providing a few resources here.

Son of the South

Son of the South probably has the most extensive collection of original Harper's Weekly newspapers about the Civil War. They have many drawings depicting slavery and photographs of former slaves:

Thomas Nast "Emancipated Slaves" at Son of the South

Photographs of Slavery

Slavery Pictures

Colored Troops

You can also search just about any regiment or battle and find a photo:

Search the site

Civil War Home Page

Civil War Home Page (see the Photos database)

Creative Commons

Creative Commons is another great place to search for images of slavery and the Civil War. It is a popular place to go to find photos that you can reuse. Read the licenses carefully.

Google Books

Google Books is another great place to search for photos of famous people or Civil War sites. I have always been able to find photos or drawings on book covers or by browsing pages.

The Negro in American history: men and women eminent in

the evolution of the American of African Descent

By John Wesley Cromwell

At Google Images, you can specify the type (drawing, clip art, photo, face) of image, size, and color of image you want. If you intend to use the photos you find, please remember to check licenses.

Where is your picture treasure trove?

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Freedom Maverick Awards

The awards below were inspired by a photograph that I took at The State House in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. There is so much said about the Confederate flag that hangs there, but I never have seen much about the African American Monument that depicts the history of African Americans. Taking down a flag alone does not change a people's vision. Those we acknowledge as being a Freedom Maverick (a word coined by Angela Y.Walton-Raji in podcast #91) will help us have the right perspective.