Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Order Abolishing Slavery on Display

The original Emancipation Proclamation will go on display in the rotunda of the National Archives on New Year’s Eve, giving the American public its first chance to see in its entirety the order that freed 4 million slaves during the Civil War. Signed by Abraham Lincoln in a bedroom at the White House on the afternoon of Jan. 1, 1863, its jurisdiction was limited to slaves in Union-occupied slave states. The proclamation consists of three pieces of paper, two written on front and back, making a total of five pages of text. It is in much more fragile condition than the original U.S. Constitution. To prevent further damage, the pages have been sealed in plastic envelopes, which will be suspended upright so that people can walk around and read both sides.