Historians Edna Greene Medford, member of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission’s Advisory Council, and Frank Williams, Chairman of the Lincoln Forum, discuss President Abraham Lincoln’s role in promoting the creation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Discussion Questions

1. What was the Emancipation Proclamation? When and why was it delivered?
2. According to Mr. Williams, how did President Lincoln’s relationship with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) affect his desire for Congress to legalize emancipation?
3. Ms. Medford mentions President Lincoln appealed to the “border states” before drafting the Emancipation Proclamation. What were the border states, and why did he do this? When did President Lincoln’s cabinet advise he should issue the Emancipation Proclamation? What was their reasoning for the delay?
4. After watching this clip, summarize how President Lincoln helped create the 13th Amendment. For more information about President Lincoln, click here to visit C-SPAN’s American Presidents Life Portrait page on Abraham Lincoln.