I read something the other day that astounded me. I don't ever remember learning this in school; that doesn't mean that I wasn't taught it, I just don't recall this information. Unfortunately, there is probably quite a bit I don't recall!
Well, let me give you a bit of history; it has to do with the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued in January of 1863. Did you know that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves that were in states rebelling against the Union? Slaves that were in the Union, and slaves that were in southern states that were already under the Union's control were not freed.
Sad, isn't it?
The following is a letter to President Lincoln, written by Annie Davis. It is taken from A Patriot's Handbook, by Caroline Kennedy.
Belair [Md.]
Mr president It is my Desire to be free. to go to see my people on the eastern shore. my mistress wont let me you will please let me know if we are free. and what i can do. I write to you for advice. please send me word this week. or as soon as possible and oblidge.
Go forth, and enjoy your freedom.
2 comments:
Lisa, I found your site through the Hayward friends section of Pastor Mark's site. When I read your post about Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation I felt compelled to comment. First, if you find this part of our history interesting (as I do); let me suggest "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She is a presidential historian who did an excellent job writing about Lincoln's term of office, the social, political and economic realities of that day and how they affected his presidency.
It was a shame that all slaves could not be freed at the same time, but the political reality of the time was that if Lincoln has freed the slaves in the 'Border States', they would have left the Union too and that would have meant the end of the United States as it existed. Lincoln abhorred slavery and wanted to see it ended, but he also knew that that would not happen in a country torn in two, with a new nation being established upon the foundation of slavery. So his first task was to preserve the Union and then to see slavery abolished. We take our democratic republic for granted, as something of a birthright (which the founding fathers believed it was) but in Lincoln's day, only a couple of generations removed from Independence, it was still an experiment whose outcome was still in doubt throughout much of the world. Lincoln believed that "all men are created equal." He also knew we were being tested, "whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure."
Being a student of that time in our history, I sometimes am dismayed at the attempts by 'revisionists' to paint Lincoln as ambivalent towards slavery. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not saying that was your intent, I just wanted to point out that history must be viewed in whole. Comments and actions taken out of context can often be misunderstood.
PS. I love your comments about motherhood, especially about the difference between toddlers and teens. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Thank you so much for your comments and clarification. You are right, I never, ever intended to paint a bad picture of President Lincoln; I have nothing but respect for him. I know enough about politics to know that decisions made are for many reasons, some that we may never know. (To be honest, I'm sure there are some things our government knows that I really don't want to know!) My point basically, was that I was never aware that only certain slaves were freed. Once again, thank you.
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