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Biography · Literature

Emilie Davis

1839–1889

United States

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Biography

Emilie "Emily" Frances Davis (February 18, 1839 – December 26, 1889) was a free African American woman living in Philadelphia during the American Civil War. She wrote three pocket diaries for the years 1863, 1864, and 1865 recounting her perspective on the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the mourning of President Lincoln. These diaries are unique in their depiction of 19th century life of urban African American women and reactions to the events of the Civil War.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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