Freedom for the slaves was short-lived. Hundreds of whites in Louisiana would see to that. Just as assertively, former slaves continued to fight for justice and secure their hard-won rights, often losing their lives in the struggle. Racial violence was more »
The massive records of the Freedmen’s Bureau (more formally, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands) are now available online. FamilySearch, the National Archives, and the mobilization of thousands of volunteers made this effort possible. Among these records are more »
I’ve recently received several questions asking where Confederates from the battle of Milliken’s Bend were buried. Unfortunately, I don’t have a firm answer. Before the Confederates left Milliken’s Bend, they stayed nearby for a couple of hours before withdrawing to more »
The poster above is featured in the online portal for the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The broadside was issued on July 6, and prominently mentions both Port Hudson and Milliken’s Bend as examples more »
Life, war, and survival during this era was extremely brutal and cruel. The film Free State of Jones is not for the squeamish. One of the first things that strikes you about this film is its intense brutality. And that’s more »