When was slavery abolished? Was it abolished in the whole country or just parts of it? Was it real?

Question

A friend of mine says that african americans weren't free for real, until after MLK's bithday was declared a holiday, is this true?

Answer 1

The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery in the United States. Since the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, that should have settled the issue.

However, in many states there was still discrimination against blacks. In general, there were no laws per se in the northern states that were discriminatory against blacks, but there were many social attitudes that tended to hold back black advancement. In some southern states, there were actually laws that were passed following the period of reconstruction that gave blacks the status of second-class citizens.

As a result, in the very late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, numbers of blacks from the southern part of the country chose to "vote with their feet"--in other words, move to the north. As I mentioned, there was still prejudice, but at least the newcomers weren't in danger of being thrown into jail for violating laws designed to "keep them in their place."

Your friend has, I feel, expressed an opinion, one that is not based entirely on fact.

Answer 2

Slavery was abolished in these US of A state by state.

Theoretically the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed all slaves at the Federal level.

Since we were emerging from the Civil War some southern states choose to ignore the Proclamation and kept slaves until forced to release them. The most note example occurred in Galveston Texas on June 19, 1865, some 2.5 years later Major General Gordon Granger had come to Texas to enforce the Federal Law.

Isn't History fascinating!!!!

Answer 3

I'm African American, and I say "ditto" to the answers above. Although slavery was abolished by President Lincoln through the emancipation proclamation, he could not abolish hatred, so inequities continued long after the abolition of slavery... thus the civil rights movement began. As a footnote, I would like to state for the record that I do not harbor any feelings of hatred or prejudice toward white America. It is important for all African Americans to remember that even though the white man enslaved our ancestors, it was also the white man that freed them.

Answer 4

Slavery was abolished in this country when Lincoln freed the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation. It was abolished in the whole country, not just part of it. And slavery was definitely for real as was the Emancipation. Your friend is ill-informed.

Chow!!

Answer 5

Your friend is either a moron, or she is speaking metaphorically. They were free as in not slaves after the Civil War (see Emancipation Proclamation already mentioned), but they still could not do many things or go to the same places as white people for decades - until the Civil Rights movement changed all that. This is probably what she means.

Answer 6

Your friend is full of it. Lincoln was reluctant to issue an Emancipation Proclamation but you would have thought from what one is taught in class these days this was his primary concern. He issued the proclamation to save the Union making impossible for foreign Governments to intervene on behalf of the Confederacy. Even though the English supported (indirectly) slavery, they like other countries were officially against the practice. By his actions, Lincoln was showing the US was against slavery but not the Confederacy. If like the leaders of these countries at the time, you took the time to read and study the act you would see it does nothing and in fact, Lincoln thought that the Afro American was not the equal of whites and his plan was to resettle the slaves in either the Amazon or Western Texas.

Most people are not aware that there was a series of action and even proclamations for instance Lincolns correspondence of October 14, 1862 to the military and civilian authorities of occupied Louisiana.

“Major General Butler, Governor Shepley, & and [sic] all having military and naval authority under the United States within the S[t]ate of Louisiana. The bearer of this, Hon. John E. Bouligny, a citizen of Louisiana, goes to the State seeking to have such of the people thereof as desire to avoid the unsatisfactory prospect before them, and to have peace again upon the old terms under the constitution of the United States, to manifest such desire by elections of members to the Congress of the United States particularly, and perhaps a legislature, State officers, and United States Senators friendly to their object. I shall be glad for you and each of you, to aid him and all others acting for this object, as much as possible. In all available ways, give the people a chance to express their wishes at these elections. Follow forms of law as far as convenient, but at all events get the expression of the largest number of the people possible. All see how such action will connect with, and affect the proclamation of September 22nd. Of course, the men elected should be gentlemen of character willing to swear support to the Constitution, as of old, and known to be above reasonable suspicion of duplicity. (CW 5:462-3, italics added).

NOTE: The italic show that Lincoln rather then issue an Emancipation Proclamation or free the slaves was still willing to allow the Southern States back into the Union. One will find this all the way up to the 1865 visit to Camp Lookout.

At the same time Lincoln was issuing the Emancipation Proclamation he was petitioning his cabinet to negotiate and appropriate funds to force the Blacks else where.

In July 1862, Lincoln read a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet. Secretary of State William Seward suggested that Lincoln wait to issue it until after the Union victory, so that it would not sound like the last desperate act of a losing government. Lincoln agreed, and waited for his generals to win a battle.
The battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day of the war. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army retreated after the battle, allowing Union general George B. McClellan to claim victory. Five days later, on September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
The preliminary Proclamation announced that slaves in rebel states not under Union control would become free on January 1, 1863. Lincoln thus gave the Southern states one last chance to end the war before losing their slaves, which they did not accept. The Proclamation did not affect slaves in the Union states; Lincoln still needed the allegiance of the border states in order to win the war. It was clear to all; however, that slavery would not long survive anywhere once the Proclamation took effect.
On January 1, 1863, Lincoln signed the final Emancipation Proclamation.
In 1864, Jeff Davis and other Southerner leaders would contemplate outlawing slavery and probably would have if the opportunity had arisen.

But to the rest of your answer slavery was finished here but not else where. Why don't you and "your" friend start a movement against slavery? Write me and I'll provide you guidance and assistance. They and many Afro-Americans dislike the Confederate Battle Flag their excuse is it reminds them of slavery. You might be aware that the Slavery Museum is being built here in Virginia and when I asked what that reminded them of; I was asked to leave the meeting. What I can not understand if the Afro-Americans here in the States are so anti-slavery why aren't they and you fighting slavery in the modern world? Is it all right to complain about what happened a 140 years ago but you won't take any steps to prevent from happening today?

You say you didn't know about modern slavery? Well, now you do, anyone who has had such an issue with slavery as the Afro-Americans should be studying the issue and organizing bans, boycotts and marches. Lets' start with the number two (2) area that being Chocolate, you should ensure that your family, friends and school boycott Chocolate that means candy, ice cream and hot chocolate, etc. The big companies have the power to make sure the Egyptians and others quit using slaves to gather the Coca Beans.

The number one (1) area is the sex trade, videos, prostitution and children. You cannot do much there but you could ensure the issue becomes publicized.

Number three (3) is Coffee and you should do the same thing as you should do with chocolate.

Number four (4) is drugs and it is even worse with this area (I believe they should be legalized; it worked in the Netherlands and would be a God sent to the Country) is that the profits are used to kill us.

God Bless You and The Southern People.

Answer 7

Nope. Slavery became illegal with the Emancipation Proclamation in ALL REGIONS IN REBELLION against the United States government. It became illegal throughout the country by 1865.

Answer 8

Nope...Not true..
Slavery was abolished in the US shortly after the Civil War ended..
Slavery still exists in Africa and some other countries...

Answer 9

no. you and your friend should go read up on the emancipation proclamation

Answer 10

OMG! Your friend is so stupid.