Chestertown Flashback: Juneteenth in Kent County

In recognition of this week’s Juneteenth holiday, we share an undated tintype portrait of two African American men in Kent County. Tintypes were introduced in 1853 and widely used in the 1860s and 1870s, though they continued to be used into the 1930s. They were often used for portraiture and because they were sturdy and lightweight, they were very popular during the American Civil War.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but individual states have observed it for much longer, beginning with Texas in 1980. The holiday marks the day in 1865 when General Order No. 3 was issued to  inform the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free. The original document, preserved in the National Archives, has been digitized and can be viewed at this link.

The Emancipation Proclamation declaring that in states that were “in rebellion” all enslaved people were free went into effect on January 1, 1863. However, Marylanders who were enslaved remained so because, as a border state that had not seceded from the Union, Maryland was exempted from the order. Slavery was finally outlawed here in late 1864 by a new Maryland Constitution, in which “all persons held to service or labor as slaves, are hereby declared free.” Image courtesy of the Historical Society of Kent County.

If you have any information about this image or the people depicted, please let us know in the comments, or by emailing [email protected].

The Bordley History Center is open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 am – 2 pm and Saturdays from 10 am – 1 pm, and from 5 pm – 7 pm on First Fridays. Visitors can browse the shop, view the exhibitions, and explore genealogical records on a drop-in basis. Collections staff is available by appointment to assist with research in the library and archives. Visit www.kentcountyhistory.org or call (410) 778-3499 for more details.