Border State Freedom Seekers: Celebrating Maryland's Emancipation Day

Did you know that Maryland legally abolished slavery a year after the Emancipation Proclamation  on November 1,1864?

Join us and historian Maya Davis with author Scott Shane as we explore the complexities of abolishing slavery in this southern border state while also learning about earlier freedom fighters who helped enslaved Marylanders gain their freedom. Author Scott Shane will discuss the compelling story of Thomas Smallwood, a self-educated former Maryland slave turned abolitionist in Shane’s book, Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland. Maya Davis, Director of the Riversdale House Museum will discuss the origins of Emancipation Day and its impact on the state of Maryland. As of October 1, 2025, Maryland Emancipation Day is officially recognized on November 1 as a state legal holiday. 

Scott Shane was a reporter for 15 years at The New York Times, where he was twice a member of teams that won Pulitzer Prizes, and before that for 21 years at The Baltimore Sun. 

Maya Davis is the Director of the Riversdale House Museum, the former 19th Century Plantation home in Prince George’s County. Prior to her arrival she was the Research Archivist and Legislative Liaison at the Maryland State Archives where she consulted on statewide projects related to the African American experience. Previously she served as the Vice Chair of the Annapolis 1864 Commission to Commemorate Maryland Emancipation Day.