In the fall of 1864, Gen. William T. Sherman led his army through Atlanta, Georgia, blazing a path of destruction as they headed east across the state to Savannah. While the army marched through town after Confederate town, plantation owners fled… But even before they did so, slaves self-emancipated by physically joining the Union lines. By the time the army seized Savannah in December, as many as 20,000 enslaved people had attached themselves to Sherman’s army in the expectation that the company would help free them.
In conjunction with our new exhibit, The Second American Revolution, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum invites you to join Bennett Parten for a discussion of his book, Somewhere Toward Freedom, which offers a new, breakthrough account that reframes Sherman’s March as the largest liberation event in American history. Parten's compelling narrative is the first to focus on the myriad stories of the enslaved individuals who self-emancipated. It's a journey told through the lens of resilience, hope, and the beginning sparks of Reconstruction.
This program will take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in the ALPLM Union Theater. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Program begins at 6:30 p.m. This program is free to attend but advance registration is required.