The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the Confederate states.
After the Proclamation, Why the 13th Amendment?
"Lincoln was worried that his Emancipation Proclamation would be limited or reversed by the courts. He based the proclamation on his 'war powers' as 'commander in chief,' but those powers had never been interpreted by the federal courts; much less used for such a dramatic and radical change. A constitutional amendment, he said, would be a 'King's cure,' ending any legal questions once and for all." -Historian Walter Stahr in an interview
Go to "Ratification" page