Emancipation Day

A little history lesson from a friend at Ford's Theatre:


On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln declared emancipation for all enslaved persons within the District of Columbia, which he believed was within his power as the District was at the time ruled directly by the Federal Government.   The District of Columbia was the first place declared free of slavery by the federal government, almost six months before President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Day#Washington.2C_D.C.