On February 2, 1862, Congress took a major step towards ending slavery in the US by abolishing it within the District of Columbia. This choice marked a vital second within the struggle for freedom, paving the best way for the nationwide abolition of slavery.
The push to finish slavery in Washington, D.C., gained momentum in the course of the Civil Battle. Abolitionist and Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner famously challenged President Abraham Lincoln, declaring that, as head of the federal authorities, he was technically the biggest slaveholder within the nation. Sumner was referring to the U.S. Structure, which granted Congress unique legislative authority over the federal district.
That very same 12 months, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts launched a invoice to abolish slavery in Washington, D.C. Regardless of resistance from pro-slavery factions, the invoice efficiently handed by way of Congress. The Senate authorised it on April 3, 1862, with a vote of 29 to 14, adopted by the Home of Representatives on April 12, 1862. President Lincoln signed the invoice into regulation on April 16, 1862.
Formally titled “An Act for the Launch of Sure Individuals Held to Service or Labor within the District of Columbia,” the laws freed roughly 3,100 enslaved people within the nation’s capital. It additionally offered compensation to former slaveowners, providing them as much as $300 per enslaved individual. Moreover, newly freed African People got the choice to obtain as much as $100 in the event that they selected to to migrate to a different nation.
The abolition of slavery in D.C. was a strong precursor to the Emancipation Proclamation, which Lincoln issued lower than a 12 months afterward January 1, 1863. It demonstrated that change was not solely attainable however imminent.
As we honor Black Historical past Month, allow us to bear in mind the brave efforts that led to this historic second and mirror on the continuing journey towards justice and equality.