I am wrapping up “Big Enough To Be Inconsistent” today and on page 95 there was this little nugget:
“The first state that Lincoln tried to enlist in his program of gradual emancipation was Delaware, which had so few slaves - a total of 1800 in 1860 - that it was hard to imagine strong opposition to their being purchased and freed by the federal government (for $500 per slave). In late November 1861, Lincoln went so far as to draft a bill to be presented to the Delaware state legislature providing for gradual, federally compensated emancipation. Under its propopsed terms, slavery would not be totally eliminated until 1893. But even in a state that had no significant economic stake in slavery, the fear that emanicpated blacks would claim equal rights caused a bill allong the lines that Lincoln recommended to be narrowly defeated.”
go figure, some things never change I guess in this state…
9 responses so far ↓
1 jason330 // May 10, 2008 at 12:02 pm
This has been another installment of “Great Moments in Delaware History”
2 kavips // May 10, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I never knew that. Thanks.
3 FSP // May 10, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Didn’t Joe Biden tell you?
4 Tyler Nixon // May 10, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Funny little history tidbit. I discovered that in 1879 a youngish Delaware State Senator named Thurman Adams attempted to introduce the “Emancipation Retraction” as an amendment to the Constitution…
5 Truth Teller // May 10, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I believe it wasn’t until 1 or 2 years after the Civil war that Delaware finally agreed to free it’s slaves.
And yet there is still some dispute about this south of Duck Creek
6 Brian // May 10, 2008 at 5:50 pm
“This has been another installment of “Great Moments in Delaware History”
No, the great moment came in 1905 when my mom’s relative passed the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hunn_%28governor%29
7 Brian // May 10, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Jason or LG I think my comment did not come through…. assistance would be appreciated. Thanks…
8 Steve Newton // May 10, 2008 at 7:17 pm
There was actually an “Office of Compensated Emancipation” in Sussex (Georgetown, I think) during 1864.
Also, Delaware came within one vote in the Senate (Thurman Adams?) of ending slavery in 1848.
9 Brian // May 10, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I used to have records of a few slaves from the 19th century. Jacob Lingo, fought at Petersburg but was actually sold for an enlistment of $300 from his master and then had to pay it back following discharge in the South West.
I think that the one vote Steve mentioned and that prevented the end of slavery in 1848 was from Governor Ross or his delegate from Seaford?… but I am not entirely sure.
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