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c 1 C Emilie Davis, 1863 “In the evening, we went to prayer meeting, had a spirited meeting. Our party were the only colerd people. Diaries, August 23, 1863 In the 1850 U.S. Census, when she was twelve years old, Emilie lived with her parents, her sister, and three of her four brothers in Roxbury, Philadelphia. (Her oldest brother, Alfred, either lived on his own or was not home when the census taker came to the house.) In the 1860 U.S. Census, Emilie and two of her siblings (Elizabeth and Thomas) had moved in with her uncle, Elijah J., and his family at 916 Rodman Street, between South and Lombard. Sometime between 1860 and 1863, Emilie moved to a home within walking distance of her family, her church, and her school. She was enrolled in evening classes at the Institute for Colored Youth, worked as a live-in domestic for four families, and supplemented her income by working as a dressmaker. The country was in the midst of the second year of a brutal “white man’s War” that had already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and did not seem to have an end in sight.1 The year opened with a dramatic shift in the social, political, and emotional climate as President Abraham Lincoln made a bold and rather calculated move to redefine the Civil War and transform the country from a slave nation to a nation with free black and white citizens. With the issue of the Emancipation Proclamation and the eventual decision to allow black men to enlist in the military, the country was in the midst of a cataclysmic shift in focus and direction. At this time in history, there were no indications that the country was ever going to be united as one nation, but the free black community was invested, involved, and greatly concerned about the direction of the country. Emilie, as a freeborn black woman, had a voice, a pocket diary, and a pen. January 1863 Thursday, January 1, 1863 To day has bin a memorable day. I thank God I have bin here to see it. The day was religiously observed, all the churches were open. We had quite a Jubilee in the evening. I went to Joness to a party, had a very blessest time. Emilie Davis, 1863 19 Emilie was a member of First African Presbyterian Church, the first and only black Presbyterian church in the country and the fifth black church in the city. It sat at the corner of Seventh and Shippen (now Bainbridge) Streets, which was four blocks from Emilie’s 1860 address. Friday, January 2, 1863 Beautiful day, Nellie was up and spent part of the day. Reading (Redding B. Jones) was here. Nellie had an engagement and had to go home. I stoped home a few minutes . The girls were all there. Emilie’s “girls” (her closest female friends) consisted of Nellie, Ellen Black, and Rachel Turner—all of whom lived in the lower section of the Seventh Ward—and Sue, who lived in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Prior to being unanimously elected and serving as the pastor of First African Presbyterian Church 1873–79, Reverend Redding B. Jones worked as a community pastor in the Seventh Ward. Saturday, January 3, 1863 Very pleasant this morning, buisy all day. Redding on his wer (way) here to service. I went down home to see if Father (Charles Davis) had come, and was hurrying away when he came. I was delighted to see him. In 1863 Charles Davis lived in the lower section of the Seventh Ward, within walking distance of Emilie. Sunday, January 4, 1863 I did not go to church in the morning. Very good discours in the afternoon. Dave (DeClones) was down. We had a full choir bible class at Gertrudes, very interesting. Monday, January 5, 1863 Quite pleasant to day, Nellie was up a little while. Redding went away this morning . Siminy [seminary] school begins tonight, we all went down. Several strangers were there, I was quite mortified to see so few out. We did not do any business. The Institute for Colored Youth (now Cheney University) was located at 915 Bainbridge on Seventh and Lombard Streets, two blocks from Emilie’s 1860 address. Classes were held every Monday night until May 25, 1863. Tuesday, January 6, 1863 Very dull to day, raining in the afternoon. I went down home. Heard some good news, Tomy (Thomas Davis) is here. I went to...

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