Celebrations of the end of slavery in New York State in July of 1827 culminated a process begun twenty-eight years earlier. The Gradual Manumission Act of 1799 did more than reserve a future liberation date for those held in bondage. It immediately opened the door to a course of anticipation, planning, and preparation for statewide emancipation. This book explores the steps toward the coming jubilee taken by various historical actors, Black and White, during the transitional period. Their experiences and the precedents they established in the interim between the Manumission Act and General Manumission Day defined the meaning of African American freedom for Black New Yorkers during the later antebellum years and still resonate nationally.