First Fruits of Freedom

A moving narrative that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of African American men women and children on the cusp of freedom <i>First Fruits of Freedom</i> chronicles one of the first collective migrations of blacks from the South to the North during and after the Civil War.<br/><br/>Janette Thomas Greenwood relates the history of a network forged between Worcester County Massachusetts and eastern North Carolina as a result of Worcester regiments taking control of northeastern North Carolina during the war. White soldiers from Worcester a hotbed of abolitionism protected refugee slaves set up schools for them and led them north at war’s end. White patrons and a supportive black community helped many migrants fulfill their aspirations for complete emancipation and facilitated the arrival of additional family members and friends. Migrants established a small black community in Worcester with a distinctive southern flavor.<br/><br/>But even in the North white sympathy did not continue after the Civil War. Despite their many efforts black Worcesterites were generally disappointed in their hopes for full-fledged citizenship reflecting the larger national trajectory of Reconstruction and its aftermath.