Confederate President Jefferson Davis signs a bill into law authorizing the recruitment of slaves into the Confederate armies.
Category: Slavery
The Freedmen’s Bureau
President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law establishing the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, which became known as the Freedmen’s Bureau. The Bureau’s purpose was to facilitate the transition of former slaves to freedom.
A King’s Cure for All the Evils
Minnesota becomes the 15th state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution permanently abolishing slavery.
Our Whole Theory of Slavery is Wrong
The failure of the Hampton Roads conference prompted the Confederacy to consider radical measures. The Confederate Congress approves a measure allowing for the recruitment of slaves into the military.
Compensated Emancipation and the Hampton Roads Fallout
President Abraham Lincoln unveils a new plan for slave emancipation, and members of Congress demand to know what happened at Hampton Roads.
The Thirteenth Amendment: The Vote
The U.S. House of Representatives passes a constitutional amendment permanently abolishing slavery in America. This significant legislation marked the first constitutional restriction on individual rights, solidifying emancipation.