First fruits of freedom the migration of former slaves and their search for equality in Worcester, Massachusetts, 1862-1900 - Greenwood, Janette Thomas (University of North Carolina Press, 2009)
Includes bibliographical references (p. [181]-223) and index
The guns of war -- The prettiest blue mens I have ever seed -- These are the children of this revolution, the promising first fruits of the war -- A new promise of freedom and dignity -- A community within a community
This book offers a moving narrative that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of African American men, women, and children on the cusp of freedom. It chronicles one of the first collective migrations of blacks from the South to the North during and after the Civil War. The book relates the history of a network forged between Worcester County, Massachusetts, and eastern North Carolina as a result of Worcester regiments taking control of northeastern North Carolina during the war. White soldiers from Worcester, a hotbed of abolitionism, protected refugee slaves, set up schools for them, and led them north at war's end