Henry Ford Museum Hosts Emancipation Proclamation

Thousands of people stood for hours in line waiting to feast their eyes on the original document of the Emancipation Proclamation at the Monday evening.

In the midst of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, the Henry Ford has introduced a "Discovering the Civil War" theme until early September that exhibits all the important events that relate to the era of America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. The Henry Ford is also home to three authentic documents of the 13th amendment, which officially abolished slavery in the U.S.

According to the Henry Ford’s Executive Vice President Christian Overland, bringing the Emancipation Proclamation out of the National Archives to Michigan for display wasn’t a simple task.

“It’s one of the seminal documents of the United States in its history,” Overland said. “It is a highly secured document ... and so we had no idea when it was going to come or arrive. We were waiting, and all of the sudden it came and we’re very happy with that and now it’s on exhibit for 36 hours.”

The Henry Ford has opened its doors for those 36 hours straight until 6 a.m. Wednesday, allowing the public to see firsthand the document that changed American history. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln during the third year of the Civil War on January 1, 1863. It declared that all slaves in rebellious states should be set free.

The document was written on legal-size, ivory-colored paper. The edges are worn out and the ink has faded some, but it is still readable. The event that brought the Emancipation Proclamation drew a much bigger audience than the Henry Ford expected.

“This is beyond our expectations," Overland said. "We’re very happy because being a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing this document, I hope people get inspired by the courageous effort that Lincoln had in writing this document and saying this is going to stop."

Special guests at the event included U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Damon Keith, and news anchor Carmen Harlan of WDIV-TV, who recited some of the document to the crowd. Musical entertainment was provided as three separate choir groups performed gospel numbers. The museum also had Civil War films and documentaries lined up to continuously run throughout the night and early morning.

The Emancipation Proclamation event at the Henry Ford Museum continues Tuesday with readings by WDIV-TV’s Paula Tutman, Professor Marc W. Kruman from Wayne State University, and Dr. Charles V. Willie from Harvard University, WDET-FM’s Craig Fahle and more.

More music and other events are scheduled throughout the day and all admissions are free. Food and retail are also available along with guest services and open exhibits.