The Path to Freedom

Past the rose garden, about a 10-minute walk away, rows of houses curved around land once owned by the Lee family at Freedmen's Village, a temporary community of former slaves established in 1863. Most residents had risked their lives to escape slavery as Union troops marched through Virginia and Maryland. The village became home to more than 1,100 people, including Sojourner Truth, who lived there for one year. Two families lived under each roof and planted trees and vegetable gardens. A hospital cared for the sick, churches and schools nurtured the community, many residents worked in construction, and some enlisted in the Union Army. Under segregation, villagers endured hardships and the threat of eviction, yet here a chance at a new life began.

Arlington, Virginia · United States