NY1: Preliminary Copy Of Emancipation Proclamation Displayed Ahead Of 150th Anniversary

Seeing Abraham Lincoln's precise cursive on yellowing pages, it's hard not to be transported back in time.

On Sept. 22, 1862, 150 years ago Saturday, Lincoln released the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It was a warning to states in the Confederate rebellion. If they didn't rejoin the union within 100 days, all the slaves in their territories would be freed.

Not one state accepted and it took the final Emancipation Proclamation and a Union victory to free them. But historians believe it marked a significant moral turning point in this country's struggle for identity.

Through Monday, visitors can see the exhibit at the Schomburg Center. Students are especially encouraged to attend.