A handful of documents changed the character of the United States. The 13th Amendment, formally ending legal slavery in this country, is one of them.

As part of the observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and in recognition of Juneteenth, June 19, the date many African-Americans observe as when the last of the enslaved in 1865 learned they were free, there will be a tour of North Carolina’s copy of the 13th Amendment for limited engagements in June led by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR).

The document is generally stored in a climate-controlled vault at the State Archives because it's so fragile, but this June it will travel to six state historic sites, stopping at each for one day only. This will be the first time the document has traveled outside of Raleigh.

While at state historic sites in Durham and Weaverville, the document will be displayed at original slave cabins.

Historic Edenton is the first venue on the tour. Edenton was an important stop on the maritime Underground Railroad as African American watermen helped runaways seeking freedom. It was the setting of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," the biography of Harriet Jacobs, that detailed her maritime escape from slavery in Edenton and her transformation into an advocate of equality for African Americans and women.

Original slave cabins stand at Historic Stagville in Durham and Vance Birthplace in Weaverville, while reproduction cabins are at Somerset Place in Creswell. Other historic venues on the tour are Historic Edenton, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum in Sedalia and the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center in Kinston.

"As we approach the 150th anniversary of the creation of this important, nation-changing document, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources feels it is only appropriate to carry it from Raleigh to exhibit in appropriate symbolic locations," Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz explained. "I think it especially important that we are showcasing this freedom document in slave cabins at three of the historic sites."

"The 13th Amendment wasn't just a symbol of freedom; it was indissoluble proof that equality means nothing if it is not meant for all," said Governor Pat McCrory. "I encourage everyone to take advantage of this rare exhibition to view one of the most important documents in our history."

"Viewing the 13th amendment is a powerful way to bear witness to the call for human equality and the call for freedom,” observed N.C. Arts Council Senior Program Director Michelle Lanier, who also is director of the N.C. African American Heritage Commission. “I plan to view this sacred and groundbreaking document as a way of paying homage to all those who were in legal bondage in our state and to all those who continue to strive for liberation.”

“Although the State Archives is guardian of the most prized documents of North Carolina, we are pleased to partner with state historic sites to bring one of the state’s treasures to the people,” said State Archivist Sarah Koonts. “We are excited our citizens will have the opportunity to celebrate this document and its ratification nearly 150 years ago.”

The U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment on Jan. 31, 1865, and ratified it on Dec. 6, 1865. North Carolina’s copy of the 13th Amendment was one sent to the states in February 1865, and it was ratified by the North Carolina legislature Dec. 6, 1875. Southern states had to ratify the amendment to be readmitted to the United States.

The 13th Amendment most recently was on exhibit last summer at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.

This is the complete schedule of the tour stops at state historic sites:

June 5 -- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Historic Edenton

June 6 -- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Somerset Place, Creswell

June 12 -- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Vance Birthplace, Weaverville

June 13 -- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Sedalia

June 14 -- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Historic Stagville, Durham

June 21 -- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in CSS Neuse Interpretive Center, Kinston

For additional information, call (919) 807-7389 or visit www.ncdcr.gov/Juneteenth.

The traveling exhibit is a collaboration between the State Archives of N.C., the N. C. Division of State Historic Sites, the N.C. Museum of History and the N.C. African American Heritage Commission.