This year, Abraham Lincoln's Constitution exhibit came to the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I was able to see the famous Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln. According to Wikipedia encyclopedia this document was "a presidential order in 1863 that freed most (but not all) of those who were (enslaved) (in certain States). It was not a law passed by a Congress but a proclamation written by the president alone based on the war powers given to the President by the Constitution."
It was important for me to eye ball and piece together the evidence espoused by the republican party that it was President Lincoln who freed enslaved African-Americans, while touring the exhibit. The exhibit highlighted President Lincoln using his war power to seize property (including human in bondage)belonging to those states that were in rebellion on his ban on slavery (in my opinion)in white man territories, the north.
In 1862, President Lincoln wanted to give reparation to freed African-Americans. But the ideal did not go over well according to the exhibit. In my opinion, it was too many African-Americans in slavery, too costly for the government and the plan was scrapped. But President Lincoln came up with another idea to make the territories come into compliance and it was the Emancipation Proclamation.
On January 1, 1863 the new year's celebration, became even more special to enslaved African-Americans. President Lincoln declared under his Emancipation Proclamation that those states and territories seceding from the Union, that their property would be confiscated, included those in human bondage. Included in the agreement was an offer of freedom for those agreeing to fight for the Union. What a sweet deal, and included a bonus of a promise of 40 acres and a mule in the war zone. Indeed something to celebrate for the new year.!!!!
On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated. On December, 1865, after President Lincoln was murdered by John Wilkes Booth, the 13th Amendment was ratified by certain states. Finally enforcement, after the failure or the power to enforce the constitutional ban against slavery in 1808 on the states.
