1. Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment:
- Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation issued in 1863 freed enslaved individuals in Confederate territory. He remained committed to ensuring the abolition of slavery throughout the nation and actively pursued the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would officially abolish slavery in the United States.
2. Hampton Roads Conference:
- Lincoln met with Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens and other Confederate representatives in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in early 1865. The purpose of this conference was to discuss potential terms for peace, including the issue of slavery and the reunification of the country.
3. Second Inaugural Address:
- Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, delivered on March 4, 1865, was a powerful speech about the healing and reconciliation that needed to take place after the Civil War. He emphasized the importance of binding up the nation's wounds and moving forward together as a united country.
4. Plans for Reconstruction:
- Lincoln began the process of planning for the Reconstruction of the South after the war. He wanted to ensure that former slaves would have civil rights and economic opportunities, while also avoiding harsh retribution against the defeated Confederacy.
5. Assassination:
- Tragically, on April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. Lincoln's death came just days after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the end of major military operations in the Civil War.
While President Lincoln was not able to see the full realization of his Reconstruction plans, his actions and words in his final days helped lay the foundation for a more unified and just nation.
