Abraham Lincoln surprises his cabinet by reading a draft of an executive order freeing all slaves in Confederate states.
Category: Slavery
Change Tactics or Lose the Game
With the northern war effort in decline, Abraham Lincoln begins to reconsider whether or not he should free slaves by presidential decree.
A Radical Change in Our Social System
Abraham Lincoln holds a conference with U.S. congressmen from the loyal slaveholding states to persuade them to adopt gradual, compensated emancipation.
The End of Slavery in the U.S. Territories
Abraham Lincoln fulfills a party pledge by approving a law that bans the expansion of slavery into the U.S. territories.
Blind to the Signs of the Times
Abraham Lincoln revokes David Hunter’s order freeing all slaves in his military department. But Lincoln also declared for the first time that he had the power to free slaves as a wartime necessity.
The Day-Star of a New National Dawn
Abraham Lincoln signs a joint congressional resolution pledging Federal compensation to states that voluntarily implement programs to free slaves.