Under the Freedom Tree

Taut free verse tells the little-known story of the first contraband camp of the Civil War--seen by some historians as the "beginning of the end of slavery in America." One night in 1861, three escaped slaves made their way from the Confederate line to a Union-held fort. The runaways were declared "contraband of war" and granted protection. As word spread, thousands of runaway slaves poured into the fort, seeking their freedom. These "contrabands" made a home for themselves, building the first African American community in the country. In 1863, they bore witness to one of the first readings of the Emancipation Proclamation in the South--beneath the sheltering branches of the tree now known as Emancipation Oak.

Susan VanHecke is the author of Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers (Boyds Mills, 2011), an ALA Notable Children's Book; Rock 'n' Roll Soldier: A Memoir (HarperTeen, 2009), and An Apple Pie for Dinner (Marshall Cavendish, 2009), as well as several books for adults. She lives in Norfolk, Virginia.