Capitol Hill’s Lincoln Park. Photo by gc-dc

On this day 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed the city’s 3,100 slaves some six months before they were similarly freed in Confederate states. The move, which was opposed by the city’s mayor and aldermen, also offered slave-owners that were loyal to the Union an average payment of $300 per slave that was freed.

There will be a number of events in celebration of the day. The Emancipation Day Parade will kick off at 11 a.m. at Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, marching up towards Freedom Plaza where there will be a street festival and fireworks once the sun sets.

The Historical Society of Washington will be hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (801 K Street NW) and will host a panel discussion from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the role that D.C. residents played in pushing Lincoln to sign the act. From 6 to 8 p.m. the National Archives will host a discussion on the act.

And then there’s this:

On April 16, Cultural Tourism DC observes the 150th anniversary of DC Emancipation Day with a new mobile scavenger hunt, Free in DC: Celebrating 150 Years of Emancipation. This location-based trivia game explores Emancipation and Civil War history across the city. The smartphone based game is presented in partnership with Ford’s Theatre, President Lincoln’s Cottage, and the Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel.

Free in DC: Celebrating 150 Years of Emancipation is available through SCVNGR, a free mobile gaming application available for download on iPhone and Android smartphone devices. Participation is free and open to all DC residents and visitors. Participants should download the SCVNGR app in advance. Go to http://www.scvngr.com for downloading instructions.

The D.C. government is closed for the day, and while on-street parking throughout the city will be free, rush-hour lane rules and parking restrictions remains in effect. And if you haven’t yet paid your taxes, tomorrow is your last day to do so.

Lincoln’s announcement was celebrated by many in D.C. Illustration courtesy of the Library of Congress.