Lincoln and Congress Freed D.C.’s Slaves 160 Years Ago

Today marks a milestone in the history of the nation’s capital: the day 160 years ago that Abraham Lincoln signed a law passed by the Republican Congress emancipating the slaves in the District of Columbia. The date is marked by a holiday in D.C., but it is far less-remembered nationally than the Emancipation Proclamation, the Thirteenth Amendment, or even the Texas-specific holiday Juneteenth. That is a shame, because D.C. emancipation sheds a good deal of light on Lincoln and the fight against slavery.

The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act was the first true emancipation under federal law. It was the first federal law to free slaves held in bondage where slavery had been legal, without resort to war powers focused on the exigencies of rebellion. It was thus a dramatic step toward the end of slavery.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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Today marks a milestone in the history of the nation’s capital: the day 160 years ago that Abraham Lincoln signed a law passed by the Republican Congress emancipating the slaves in the District of Columbia. The date is marked by a holiday in D.C., but it is far less-remembered nationally than the Emancipation Proclamation, the Thirteenth Amendment, or even the Texas-specific holiday Juneteenth. That is a shame, because D.C. emancipation sheds a good deal of light on Lincoln and the fight against slavery.

The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act was the first true emancipation under federal law. It was the first federal law to free slaves held in bondage where slavery had been legal, without resort to war powers focused on the exigencies of rebellion. It was thus a dramatic step toward the end of slavery.