Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment

[Christian]

I think Lincoln and others did move the needle on emancipation, though - while many people in the North may not have been on board with equal rights for blacks, I think there was greater support for emancipation in 1864 (and remember, there were celebrations when Congress sent to the states the Thirteenth Amendment, quick ratification in many states, etc.). I think it's like today's elections - people vote within two great umbrella parties but voters individually prioritize different things. So, it's hard to say who was voting because of reunion, emancipation, reunion and emancipation, etc. Also, one thing that always struck me was how close the popular vote was - while I recognize Lincoln won by around 10 points, it just always strikes me how the Democratic party held on to a more than solid base, even in 1864.

(10-13-2015 09:00 AM)Rogerm Wrote:  Unfortunately, I would have to say that the voters were probably voting more against McClellan than they were in support of emancipation.