Existing comment:
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.
I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no way interferes with any other man's rights.
Freedom was not an abstract idea to Abraham Lincoln; it was firmly embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He never wavered in his personal belief that all Americans should be free, and his writings and speeches reflect this belief. Without the freedom to vote, to work, to discuss issues openly, and to have the opportunity to improve one's status in life, there would be no country. To Lincoln, these freedoms must be available to everyone; therefore slavery should not exist.
Abraham Lincoln turned to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to support his long held belief that slavery was an inherent evil and must be abolished if the nation was to grow and prosper.
The Emancipation Proclamation remains one of President Lincoln's important, far-reaching actions. On January 1, 1863, it merely freed slaves within Confederate-controlled areas, but this humble start inspired Lincoln's advocacy for complete, nationwide freedom guaranteed by the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
Section 1 of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified December 6, 1865:
Ratification of the 13th Amendment completed what Lincoln began with the Emancipation Proclamation. The arguments about slavery were finally over; it was legally abolished forever. Negro citizenship was granted in 1868 with the 14th Amendment. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, gave Negroes the right to vote. |