Many freed slaves moved away from areas where slavery had been permitted. Some came to the nation's capital, Washington, DC, in search of a better life.
Arlington National Cemetery is just outside Washington. The cemetery is the final resting place for many former armed forces members. Years ago, the grounds were home to slaves and then former slaves.
Craig Syphax has been working on his family's history for the past 15 years. He discovered the Syphaxes were an influential slave family in Arlington. He also learned that his great-great-great grandfather, Charles Syphax, belonged to the nation's first president, George Washington. Charles Syphax lived at the Washingtons' home in Mount Vernon. He was one of 57 slaves who moved to Arlington House with George Washington's adopted grandson.
"Every time I research a certain aspect of the Syphax family, I find more exciting things that spark my interest to want to keep going and delve into that."
In 1863, thousands of newly freed slaves moved to Washington, DC. The government set up a camp for former slaves on land in Arlington, Virginia. The camp was known as Freedman's Village.
Tens of thousands of former slaves lived in Freedman's Village for nearly 40 years. The community had schools, hospitals, religious centers and even a home for children whose parents were dead.
Craig Syphax says his ancestor Charles became a leader in Freedman's Village.
"The Syphaxes became people that could read and write. So they freely taught people how to read and write without charge or anything because we knew that was how you would succeed here in America."
Syphax is working on a documentary about his family and on a new history museum next to Arlington Cemetery. Talmadge Williams is a leader of that effort.
"History not taught could be history repeating itself, and we don't want history to be repeated. We don't need slavery again."\
Former slaves are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Some people say they are as much a part of history as the soldiers buried there.
The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is one of the most recognized pieces of music in American history. It is often called the great Civil War anthem. And it was the favorite song of President Abraham Lincoln.
Poet and anti-slavery activist Julia Ward Howe wrote those words during the early years of the Civil War. The words came to her after she met with President Lincoln at the White House and saw soldiers fighting near Washington, DC.
Chris Coover is a specialist in American historical documents.
"That evening, she had a dream where this set of lyrics was presented to her, inspired by things she'd seen in the day. And she woke up in the middle of the night with these visions of Lincoln and battles and marching troops and wrote this rather remarkable series of verses."
Julia Ward Howe wrote those words to the folk song "John Brown's Body." Her work quickly became a success with the union soldiers and even President Lincoln himself.
"Lincoln loved this piece and asked for it to be performed on many occasions."
In the years since the Civil War, the song has become an iconic musical work. It is often played at major political events.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. used parts of the Battle Hymn in several of his speeches. He read some of the words at the close of a 1968 speech on the night before he was shot and killed.
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!"