Formerly Enslaved Person

Resources are listed in alphabetical order. More information can always be found by using our website search bar, or contacting a member of our staff.

Articles

Pages from our Past articles written by Bill Kemp

1 item

A man kneels, inserting an American flag next to a grave stone in a cemetery.

Central Illinois final resting place for once-enslaved persons

The stain of slavery pervades the American experience, dating well before the nation’s founding...

Article

Biographies

4 items

Duff, Peter

Peter Duff moved to Normal, IL after fleeing Kentucky following the end of the American Civil W...

Biography

Esque, Eliza (Davis)

Eliza Davis Esque was born around 1845 in St. Charles County, Missouri. Little is known about ...

Biography

Malone, Simon Booth

Simon Booth Malone was born into slavery on December 18, 1842 in Tippah County, Mississippi. S...

Biography

Witherspoon, Julius

Julius Witherspoon (1859-1906) relocated to Bloomington from Arkansas when he was 24. He worked...

Biography

Videos

Livestreamed and recorded presentations by staff, experts, and community members.

3 items

Abraham Lincoln’s Evolving Views on Slavery

Video

Carrying The Colors: The Life and Legacy of Medal of Honor Recipient Andrew Jackson Smith

Video

Liberty Brought Us Here: The True Story of American Slaves Who Migrated to Liberia

Video