Holden, William Woods (1818-1892) [Proclamation establishing a provisional government in North Carolina]
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05082 Author/Creator: Holden, William Woods (1818-1892) Place Written: Raleigh, North Carolina Type: Broadsheet Date: 12 June 1865 Pagination: 2 p. ; 32.2 x 20.2 cm. Order a Copy
Proclamation establishing a provisional government in North Carolina, in which Holden directly addresses the "colored people of the State." Issued by Holden, the first man to be appointed as a provisional governor of any state east of the Mississippi; also includes the printed name of his son and private secretary, Joseph William Holden. Issued a month and a half after Joseph E. Johnston's formal surrender. Includes a declaration stating "To the colored people of the State I would say, you are free ... It now remains for you, aided as you will be by the superior intelligence of the white race ... to decide whether the freedom thus suddenly bestowed upon you, will be a blessing to you or a source of injury ... It is not to be expected that you can comprehend and appreciate ... the wise provisions and limitations of Constitutions and laws." First printing. The printer of this broadsheet is unknown. Contains areas of discoloration and faded text.
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