The Emancipation Proclamation: A Clip From FOURTEEN

FOURTEEN was a moving theatrical performance that shed light on the Reconstruction era and the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Through dramatic interpretation of original texts, the performance brought to life the leaders, influential figures, and everyday Americans who were central to the Reconstruction era. In this clip, a performer embodying President Lincoln reads an excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation. Another performer reads an 1864 letter written by Annie Davis, an enslaved woman who, upon hearing of the proclamation, seeks President Lincoln’s guidance on if she can freely travel to visit her family.