Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, slaves began fleeing the upper Southern states to join the Northern army. President Abraham Lincoln, concerned with maintaining national unity, ordered Union Army officers to return escaped slaves; despite this order, slaves continued to join in large numbers and fought fiercely. In the South, most slaves remained on plantations, but some were brought to battle by their masters.

In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation only applied to areas under Union control; however, many slaves in the South claimed their freedom anyway. Enslaved people reacted to the news of freedom with joy and celebration. Some could not believe it was really true.

When the South surrendered to the North, the Civil War ended. Appropriately, there were Black Americans there to witness the historic event. Some Southern slave owners refused to accept the outcome and did not even tell their slaves about their freedom. In time, however, the truth was known. Finally, slavery had come to an end, and enslaved people expressed their joy in one particular phrase: “Free at last, / Thank God A-mighty, / I’m free at last” (100).