Born enslaved on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Nathaniel “Nace” Hopkins carried the scars of bondage but refused to let them define him. During the Civil War Nace enlisted with the United States Colored Troops, fighting for a freedom he had yet to taste fully for himself. Sent home sick and weary, he returned to Trappe determined to build a new life as a free man not just for himself, but for his entire community. Hopkins set to work building free black schools, churches and communities here in Talbot County and is responsible for the creation of Maryland’s first Emancipation Day Celebration in 1867 – one of our nation’s very first and the oldest that has been continuously celebrated. As the first parades marched through dusty streets of Trappe, Uncle Nace became more than a soldier—he became a leader, teacher, and living reminder that freedom must be celebrated, protected, and passed on.
Please join Nathanial Hopkins’ direct descendants, the Town of Trappe and the Talbot Historical Society in the celebration of this incredible man and this history. The Celebration includes:
Saturday November 1st
10:00 am – Service at Scotts United Methodist Church – 3748 Main Street, Trappe
11:30 am – Library Dedication at Nathanial “Uncle Nace” Hopkins Park
12:00 pm – Food, Vendors and Activities at Scotts’ Church Grounds
1:00 pm – Parade – Main Street, Trappe
2:00 pm – Theatrical Performance: “Uncle Nace: The Day Freedom Came”- Scotts Church
3:00 pm – Nathanial Hopkins Gravesite Visit, Prayer and Benediction
Monday November 3rd
5:30 pm Theatrical Performance: “Uncle Nace: The Day Freedom Came” – The Oxford Community Center, 200 Oxford Rd, Oxford Maryland – Please RSVP at www.oxfordcc.org
Uncle Nace: The Day Freedom Came
A Living History Performance of Nathanial Hopkins
Through Hopkins’s eyes, the Talbot Historical Society and the descendants of Nathanial Hopkins, in conjunction with professional actor Darius Wallace, will bring Nathanial Hopkins to life to portray his journeys from the fields of slavery to the drums of war, to his triumphant creation of Maryland’s first Emancipation Day Celebration in 1867 – which continues to this day.
Part history, part personal testimony, Uncle Nace: The Day Freedom Came is a powerful one-man performance blending storytelling, music, and the voice of a man who transformed suffering into legacy.
This free event is to be performed at the Scotts Church in Trappe at 2:00 pm on November 1st and again on November 3rd at 5:30 pm at the Oxford Community Center in Oxford, is brought to you by the generous sponsorship of Easton VFW Post 5118, the Blake-Blackstone American Legion Post 77, Cambridge American Legion Post 91, the Larry Denton Memorial fund, the Oxford Community Center and the generosity of several private donors.
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