The Case:
A Bronx, New York man with a longtime interest in African-American history recently purchased an intriguing document at a flea market that he believes to be a “freedom paper” for an African-American man named John Jubilee Jackson.
The paper was issued in Philadelphia in 1821, and indicates that Jackson was from Virginia, a state where, by 1780, nearly half of all slaves resided.
History Detectives heads to Philadelphia, Mystic, CT and New York City to investigate the document and the life of John Jubilee Jackson, uncovering the remarkable and contradictory reality of free blacks struggling to get by in a racist society.
Related Content
Technique:
Technique:
Related Links
Explore
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Newport U-Boat
Did these propellers come from a WWII German submarine?
-
Related Investigation
Lost Musical Treasure
Are these fragments of a lost moment in American musical history?
-
Related Investigation
Dueling Pistols
Were these pistols used in the last great duel on U.S. soil?
-
Also in Season 4
Survivor Camera
Did this antique camera save a Polish Jew during the Holocaust?
-
Also in Revolution: 1754-1820
Universal Friends
What can this 200-year-old document reveal about the first American-born woman to lead a religious movement?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Car Tape Deck
Is this an example of the first ever commercially produced car tape player?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.