Experience Enlightenment: Fort Negley Park Unveils 'Path to Freedom' Lecture Series for 2025

NASHVILLE, TN — This year’s annual Path to Freedom Lecture at Fort Negley Park will delve into the experiences of African Americans who escaped slavery amidst the Civil War, finding sanctuary behind Union lines. Fort Negley signified the extensive integration of newly liberated African Americans into the Federal war effort in Tennessee, its success paving the way for the establishment of contraband labor camps in various other Tennessee locales. Civil War historian Amy Murrell Taylor uncovered that these camps proliferated rapidly, with nearly 300 emerging across the wartime landscape by 1865, spanning from Virginia’s coast to Kansas, and from Missouri to New Orleans. Taylor, who holds multiple accolades for her book, Embattled Freedom: Journeys Through the Civil War’s Slave Refugee Camps, emphasizes the necessity of federal records and contemporary journals for her research. She observes, “It was not uncommon to hear observers refer to the movement of these former slaves as a ‘stampede’…” highlighting the fervent quest for liberty. Taylor notes that nearly 500,000 refugees sought protection behind Union lines, forging new communities while enduring significant hardships. Space for attendees at this important lecture is limited; interested individuals are encouraged to secure tickets via the Fort Negley Eventbrite page.