Documents used in this exhibit cover an era from Spanish rule to the end of the Civil War, including petitions signed by Spanish Governors, survey maps, and emancipation papers for entire families. These personal, often complex, stories show how the legacy of enslavement permeates American history.  

“Freedom Papers: Evidence of Emancipation” highlights examples of how enslaved people gained freedom before the Civil War in the American south. Through the purchase of bonds, travel to states where the right to freedom was inherent, and other methods, these people secured a fragile hold on their freedom and sometimes the freedom of their children as well.  

In this episode, Briscoe Center curator Sarah Sonner recounts the process of discovery as she mined the center’s vast collections to create the recent exhibition “Freedom Papers: Evidence of Emancipation.” Join us to hear what she found, her process, and what she hopes her work reveals.

We invite you to explore more evidence of this shared history through research in our archives and digital collections.