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The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an order given on January 1, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to
free the slaves.
Were all the slaves immediately free?
No. Only about 50,000 of the 4 million slaves were immediately set free. The Emancipation
Proclamation had some limitations. First, it only freed the slaves in the Confederate States that
were not under Union control. There were some areas and border states where slavery was still
legal, but were part of the Union. The slaves in these states were not immediately freed. For the
rest of the Southern states, the slaves would not be free until the Union was able to defeat the
Confederacy.
However, the Emancipation Proclamation did eventually set millions of slaves free. It also made
clear that in the near future all slaves should and would be set free.
The Emancipation also allowed for Black men to fight in the Union Army. Around 200,000
black soldiers fought on the side of the Union Army helping the North win the war and also
helping to expand the area of freedom as they marched through the South.
Why did Lincoln wait until 1863?
Lincoln felt like he needed a major victory in order to have the full support behind the
Emancipation. If he issued the order without public support, it might fail and he wanted to be
sure that it was successful and seen as a major moral victory for the North. When the Union
Army turned back Robert E. Lee and the Confederates in the Battle of Antietam on September
17, 1862 Lincoln knew it was time. The initial announcement that the Emancipation
Proclamation order was coming was given a few days later on September 22, 1862.
The Thirteenth Amendment
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order. It wasn't fully law per the Constitution
yet. However, it did pave the way for the Thirteenth Amendment. The advantage of the
Proclamation was that it could happen quickly. The Thirteenth Amendment took a few more
years to get passed by congress and implemented, but on December 6, 1865 the Thirteenth
Amendment was adopted and became part of the United States Constitution.
Here is the wording of the Thirteenth Amendment:
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Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or
any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation
Other Interesting Facts
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The original document was five pages long. It is currently located in the National
Archives in Washington D.C.
The proclamation gained the Union the support of international countries such as Great
Britain and France, where slavery had already been abolished.
It did not free the slaves in the loyal border states. They would have to wait until the war
was over.
The order declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebel states "are, and
henceforward shall be free."
Frederick Douglass
Occupation: Abolitionist, civil rights activist, and writer
Born: February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland
Died: February 20, 1895 in Washington, D.C.
Best known for: Former slave who became an advisor to the presidents
Where did Frederick Douglass grow up?
Frederick Douglass was born on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. HisBiography:
mother was a
slave and when Frederick was born, he became a slave, too. His birth name was Frederick
did Frederick
Bailey. He did not know who his father was or the exact date of his birth. He Where
later picked
Douglass grow up?
February 14 to celebrate as his birthday and estimated that he was born in 1895.
Frederick Douglass was
Life as a Slave
born on a plantation in
Life as a slave was very difficult, especially for a child. At the young age of seven
Frederick was
Talbot County, Maryland.
sent to live at the Wye House plantation. He seldom saw his mother who diedHis
when
he was
tena slave and
mother
was
years old. A few years later, he was sent to serve the Auld family in Baltimore.
when Frederick was born,
he became a slave, too. His
Learning to Read
birth name was Frederick
Around the age of twelve, his master's wife, Sophia Auld began to teach Frederick
Bailey.the
Healphabet.
did not know who
It was against the law at that time to teach slaves to read and when Mr. Auld his
found
out,
he
father wasforbid
or the exact
his wife to continue teaching Douglass. However, Frederick was an intelligent
young
man
and He later
date of his
birth.
wanted to learn to read. Over time, he secretly taught himself to read and write
by observing
picked
February 14 to
others and watching the white children in their studies.
celebrate as his birthday
and estimated that he was
born
in 1895.
Once Douglass had learned to read, he read newspapers and other articles about
slavery.
He
began to form views on human rights and how people should be treated. He also taught other
as afarm
Slave
slaves how to read, but this eventually got him into trouble. He was moved toLife
another
where he was beaten by the slave owner in an effort to break his spirit. However, this only
Life as a slave was very
strengthened Douglass' resolve to gain his freedom.
difficult, especially for a
child. At the young age of
Escape to Freedom
seven
In 1838, Douglass carefully planned his escape. He disguised himself as a sailor
andFrederick
carried was sent to
live atathe
Wye
House
papers that showed he was a free black seaman. On September 3, 1838 he boarded
train
to the
plantation.
He
seldom
north. After 24 hours of travel, Douglass arrived in New York a free man. It was at this point that saw
his mother who died when
he married his first wife, Anna Murray, and took the last name Douglass. Douglas
and Anna
he was ten years old. A few
settled down in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
years later, he was sent to
serve the Auld family in
Abolitionist
Baltimore.
In Massachusetts, Douglass met with people who were against slavery. These people were called
abolitionists because they wanted to "abolish" slavery. Frederick began to speak
at meetings
Learning
to Read
about his experiences as a slave. He was an excellent speaker and moved people with his story.
He became famous, but this also put him in danger of being captured by his former
owners.
Aroundslave
the age
of twelve,
To avoid being captured, Douglass traveled to Ireland and Britain where he continued
to
speak
his master's wife, to
Sophia
people about slavery.
Auld began to teach
Frederick the alphabet. It
was against the law at that
time to teach slaves to read
and when Mr. Auld found
out, he forbid his wife to
Author
Douglass wrote down his story of slavery in an autobiography called Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass. The book became a bestseller. Later, he would write two more stories of his
life including My Bondage and My Freedom and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
Women's Rights
In addition to speaking out for the freedom of slaves, Douglass believed in the equal rights of all
people. He was outspoken in his support for women's right to vote. He worked with women's
rights activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and attended the first ever women's rights
convention that was held at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.
Civil War
During the Civil War, Douglass fought for the rights of black soldiers. When the South
announced that they would execute or enslave any captured black soldiers, Douglass insisted that
President Lincoln respond. Eventually, Lincoln warned the Confederacy that for every Union
prisoner killed, he would execute a rebel soldier. Douglass also visited with the U.S. Congress
and President Lincoln insisting on equal pay and treatment of black soldiers fighting in the war.
Death and Legacy
Douglass died on February 20, 1895 from either a heart attack or a stroke. His legacy lives on,
however, in his writings and many monuments such as the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge
and the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
Interesting Facts about Frederick Douglass
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Douglass was married to his first wife Anna for 44 years before he died. They had five
children.
John Brown tried to get Douglass to participate in the raid on Harpers Ferry, but
Douglass thought it was a bad idea.
He was once nominated for Vice President of the United States by the Equal Rights
Party.
He worked with President Andrew Johnson on the subject of black suffrage (the right to
vote).
He once said that "No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at
last finding the other end fastened about his own neck."