Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment (Cambridge Historical Studies in American Law and Society)

Final Freedom looks at the struggle among legal thinkers, politicians, and ordinary Americans in the North and the border states to find a way to abolish slavery that would overcome the inadequacies of the Emancipation Proclamation. Michael Vorenberg tells the dramatic story of the creation of a constitutional amendment and argues that the crucial consideration of emancipation happened after, not before the Emancipation Proclamation; that the debate over final freedom was shaped by a level of volatility in party politics underestimated by previous historians, and that the abolition of slavery by constitutional amendment represented a novel method of reform that transformed attitudes toward the Constitution. Michael Vorenberg is an assistant professor of history at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a research assistant to David Herbert Donald for his prize-winning biography, Lincoln, and he is a contributor to the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Reader's Companion to the American Presidency. This is his first book. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Illustrations 13 Acknowledgments 15 Abbreviations 19 Introduction 21 1 Slavery’s Constitution 28 The Constitution, Slavery, and the Coming of the Civil War 29 The Secession Crisis: Amending the Constitution to Protect Slavery 38 Preserving the Constitution in the War for Emancipation 43 2 Freedom’s Constitution 56 The Popular Origins of Universal Emancipation 56 Emancipation and Reconstruction, Republicans and Democrats 61 Presidential Emancipation: Lincoln’s Reconstruction Proclamation 66 Congress Responds: Proposals for an Abolition Amendment 68 The Drafting of the Thirteenth Amendment 73 3 Facing Freedom 81 Legal Theory and Practical Politics 83 The Democracy Divided 91 African Americans and the Inadequacy of Constitutional Emancipation 99 4 Debating Freedom 109 The Antislavery Amendment and Republican Unity 110 Slavery, Union, and the Meaning of the War 114 Constitutional Freedom and Racial Equality 119 The Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment 127 Dubious Victory 132 5 The Key Note of Freedom 135 A New Party, a New Amendment: The Radical Democrats 136 The “National Union Party” and the Amendment 141 Race, Reconstruction, and the Constitution: The Changing Context 147 Party Unity and Presidential Politics 156 6 The War within a War: Emancipation and the Election of 1864 161 The Parties Dividing 162 Peace Feelers and Peace Fiascoes 166 The Retreat from Niagara 172 Miscegenation and Abolition 180 State Politics and Abolition 187 7 A King’s Cure 196 The New Campaign for Constitutional Emancipation 196 Lame Ducks, Lobbyists, and Lincoln 200 Confronting Constitutional Failure 205 The Final Vote 217 8 The Contested Legacy of Constitutional Freedom 231 The Meanings of Freedom: The Union States and Ratification 232 Securing the Union: The Confederate States and Ratification 242 Enacting the Amendment: Congress and Civil Rights 253 Legacies Denied: The Thirteenth Amendment in the Gilded Age 259 Legacies Preserved: The Thirteenth Amendment in the Twentieth Century 264 Appendix: Votes on Antislavery Amendment 271 Bibliography 273 Manuscript Collections 273 Albany Institute of Art and History, Albany, New York 273 Bowdoin College, Special Collections, New Brunswick, Maine 273 Butler Library, Columbia University, New York, New York 273 Chicago Historical Society, Chicago, Illinois 273 Cincinnati Historical Society, Cincinnati, Ohio 273 Delaware Hall of Records, Dover, Delaware 273 Eleutherian Mills Historical Library, Wilmington, Delaware 273 John Hay Library, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 274 Rutherford B. Hayes Historical Library, Fremont, Ohio 274 Historical Society of Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware 274 Historical Society of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 274 Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 274 Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 274 Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California 274 Illinois Historical Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois 275 Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Illinois 275 Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, Illinois 275 Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, Indiana 275 Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Indiana 275 Margaret I. King Library, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 276 Kentucky State Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky 276 Carl A. Kroch Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 276 Lilly Library, University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana 276 Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 276 Maryland State Archives, Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland 277 Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, Massachusetts 277 Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts 277 New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, New Jersey 278 New York Historical Society, New York, New York 278 New York Public Library, New York, New York 278 New York State Library, Albany, New York 278 Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio 278 Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 278 University of California at Los Angeles, Special Collections, Los Angeles, California 279 Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio 279 Federal Archival Records, National Archives 279 Published Federal and State Records 279 Contemporary Documents 280 Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, and Memorials 280 Pamphlets and Speeches 284 Newspapers and Periodicals 288 Secondary Works 288 Books 288 Articles 305 Unpublished Dissertations and Theses 315 Index 317 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Illustrations......Page 13 Acknowledgments......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 19 Introduction......Page 21 1 Slavery’s Constitution......Page 28 The Constitution, Slavery, and the Coming of the Civil War......Page 29 The Secession Crisis: Amending the Constitution to Protect Slavery......Page 38 Preserving the Constitution in the War for Emancipation......Page 43 The Popular Origins of Universal Emancipation......Page 56 Emancipation and Reconstruction, Republicans and Democrats......Page 61 Presidential Emancipation: Lincoln’s Reconstruction Proclamation......Page 66 Congress Responds: Proposals for an Abolition Amendment......Page 68 The Drafting of the Thirteenth Amendment......Page 73 3 Facing Freedom......Page 81 Legal Theory and Practical Politics......Page 83 The Democracy Divided......Page 91 African Americans and the Inadequacy of Constitutional Emancipation......Page 99 4 Debating Freedom......Page 109 The Antislavery Amendment and Republican Unity......Page 110 Slavery, Union, and the Meaning of the War......Page 114 Constitutional Freedom and Racial Equality......Page 119 The Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment......Page 127 Dubious Victory......Page 132 5 The Key Note of Freedom......Page 135 A New Party, a New Amendment: The Radical Democrats......Page 136 The “National Union Party” and the Amendment......Page 141 Race, Reconstruction, and the Constitution: The Changing Context......Page 147 Party Unity and Presidential Politics......Page 156 6 The War within a War: Emancipation and the Election of 1864......Page 161 The Parties Dividing......Page 162 Peace Feelers and Peace Fiascoes......Page 166 The Retreat from Niagara......Page 172 Miscegenation and Abolition......Page 180 State Politics and Abolition......Page 187 The New Campaign for Constitutional Emancipation......Page 196 Lame Ducks, Lobbyists, and Lincoln......Page 200 Confronting Constitutional Failure......Page 205 The Final Vote......Page 217 8 The Contested Legacy of Constitutional Freedom......Page 231 The Meanings of Freedom: The Union States and Ratification......Page 232 Securing the Union: The Confederate States and Ratification......Page 242 Enacting the Amendment: Congress and Civil Rights......Page 253 Legacies Denied: The Thirteenth Amendment in the Gilded Age......Page 259 Legacies Preserved: The Thirteenth Amendment in the Twentieth Century......Page 264 Appendix: Votes on Antislavery Amendment......Page 271 Eleutherian Mills Historical Library, Wilmington, Delaware......Page 273 Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California......Page 274 Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Indiana......Page 275 Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.......Page 276 Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts......Page 277 Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York......Page 278 Published Federal and State Records......Page 279 Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, and Memorials......Page 280 Pamphlets and Speeches......Page 284 Books......Page 288 Articles......Page 305 Unpublished Dissertations and Theses......Page 315 Index......Page 317 This Book Examines Emancipation After The Emancipation Proclamation Of 1863 And During The Last Years Of The American Civil War. Focusing On The Making And Meaning Of The Thirteenth Amendment, Final Freedom Looks At The Struggle Among Legal Thinkers, Politicians, And Ordinary Americans In The North And The Border States To Find A Way To Abolish Slavery That Would Overcome The Inadequacies Of The Emancipation Proclamation. The Book Tells The Dramatic Story Of The Creation Of A Constitutional Amendment And Reveals An Unprecedented Transformation In American Race Relations, Politics, And Constitutional Thought. Using A Wide Array Of Archival And Published Sources, Professor Vorenberg Argues That The Crucial Consideration Of Emancipation Occurred After, Not Before, The Emancipation Proclamation; That The Debate Over Final Freedom Was Shaped By A Level Of Volatility In Society And Politics Underestimated By Prior Historians; And That The Abolition Of Slavery By Constitutional Amendment Represented A Novel Method Of Reform That Transformed Attitudes Toward The Constitution.--jacket. Introduction -- Slavery's Constitution : Constitution, Slavery, And The Coming Of The Civil War ; Secession Crisis : Amending The Constitution To Protect Slavery ; Preserving The Constitution In The War For Emancipation -- Freedom's Constitution : Popular Origins Of Universal Emancipation ; Emancipation And Reconstruction, Republicans And Democrats ; Presidential Emancipation : Lincoln's Reconstruction Proclamation ; Congress Responds : Proposals For An Abolition Amendment ; Drafting Of The Thirteenth Amendment -- Facing Freedom : Legal Theory And Practical Politics ; Democracy Divided ; African Americans And The Inadequacy Of Constitutional Emancipation -- Debating Freedom : Antislavery Amendment And Republican Unity ; Slavery, Union, And The Meaning Of The War ; Constitutional Freedom And Racial Equality ; Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment ; Dubious Victory -- Key Note Of Freedom : New Party, A New Amendment : The Radical Democrats ; National Union Party And The Amendment ; Race, Reconstruction, And The Constitution : The Changing Context ; Party Unity And Presidential Politics -- War Within A War : Emancipation And The Election Of 1864 : Parties Dividing ; Peace Feelers And Peace Fiascoes ; Retreat From Niagara ; Miscegenation And Abolition ; State Politics And Abolition -- King's Cure : New Campaign For Constitutional Emancipation ; Lame Ducks, Lobbyists, And Lincoln ; Confronting Constitutional Failure ; Final Vote -- Contested Legacy Of Constitutional Freedom : Meanings Of Freedom : The Union States And Ratification ; Securing The Union : The Confederate States And Ratification ; Enacting The Amendment : Congress And Civil Rights ; Legacies Denied : The Thirteenth Amendment In The Gilded Age ; Legacies Preserved : The Thirteenth Amendment In The 20th Century -- Appendix : Votes On Antislavery Amendment. Michael Vorenberg. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 253-296) And Index. This book examines emancipation after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and during the last years of the American Civil War. Focusing on the making and meaning of the Thirteenth Amendment, Final Freedom looks at the struggle among legal thinkers, politicians, and ordinary Americans in the North and the border states to find a way to abolish slavery that would overcome the inadequacies of the Emancipation Proclamation. The book tells the dramatic story of the creation of a constitutional amendment and reveals an unprecedented transformation in American race relations, politics, and constitutional thought. Using a wide array of archival and published sources, Professor Vorenberg argues that the crucial consideration of emancipation occurred after, not before, the Emancipation Proclamation; that the debate over final freedom was shaped by a level of volatility in party politics underestimated by prior historians; and that the abolition of slavery by constitutional amendment represented a novel method of reform that transformed attitudes toward the Constitution. -- Publisher description On July 4, 1854, the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison observed Independence Day by burning a copy of the United States Constitution.]