Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Great Exodus From Bondage
Photographed By Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), June 29, 2023
1. Great Exodus From Bondage Marker
The former Farmers' Bank building at this intersection was once the home and workplace of John Washington (1838-1918), who early in the 1870s wrote a memoir of his life in slavery. On 18 April 1862, about eight months before the Emancipation Proclamation, Washington fled Fredericksburg and crossed the Rappahannock River to Falmouth, where Union forces had just arrived. He was among the first of more than 10,000 refugees enslaved in surrounding counties who escaped to Union lines and freedom over the next four months. These acts of self-emancipation accelerated a shift in federal policy that ultimately led to the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ending chattel slavery in the United States.
Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number N-42.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Civil Rights • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 18, 1862.
Location. 38° 18.146′ N, 77° 27.611′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Marker is at the intersection of Princess Anne Street (Business U.S. 17) and George Street, on the right when traveling east on Princess Anne Street. Touch for map. Marker is
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Gen. Stonewall Jackson (a few steps from this marker); In Memory of Clara Barton (within shouting distance of this marker); 1833 (within shouting distance of this marker); St. George's Graveyard (within shouting distance of this marker); War Comes to Fredericksburg (within shouting distance of this marker); 1914 (within shouting distance of this marker); A Sacked and Gutted Town (within shouting distance of this marker); A Vast Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Photographed By Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), June 29, 2023
2. Great Exodus From Bondage Marker
Photographed By Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), June 29, 2023
3. Great Exodus From Bondage Marker
This view of the marker is looking up Princess Anne Street.
Photographed By Calder Loth, 2017
4. Former Farmer's Bank Building, mentioned in Great Exodus From Bondage Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2023, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. This page has been viewed 124 times since then and 43 times this year. Last updated on July 1, 2023, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 29, 2023, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
