Aiming to limit the growth of slavery in states bordering the South, President Lincoln urged Congress in 1862 to adopt a joint resolution encouraging gradual emancipation. The plan offered federal financing to assist in the economic transition of any state that abolished slavery. Congress passed the resolution but no state accepted the offer.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
President Abraham Lincoln’s message to Congress recommending a Resolution to Encourage Gradual Emancipation, March 6, 1862
Abolishing Slavery
The issue of slavery was not directly addressed by the authors of the Constitution, but by the mid-19th century, slavery became the most divisive issue Congress faced. Petitions against slavery were received as early as the First Congress. As settlers moved west, the question of slavery in the territories periodically dominated Congressional debate. While committed foremost to preserving the Union, Abraham Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery. His plans for gradual emancipation, which recognized states’ rights and the economic ramifications of slavery, were not effective. At the close of the Civil War, Congress passed an amendment to abolish slavery, which was quickly ratified by the states.
Aiming to limit the growth of slavery in states bordering the South, President Lincoln urged Congress in 1862 to adopt a joint resolution encouraging gradual emancipation. The plan offered federal financing to assist in the economic transition of any state that abolished slavery. Congress passed the resolution but no state accepted the offer.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
