As military governor of Tennessee, he convinced Abraham Lincoln to exempt that area from the Emancipation Proclamation. Although he later served as a general in the Union Army, Grant had control of slaves owned by his wife. He is known to have personally owned only one slave, William Jones, from 1857 to 1859. read more
On September 22 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Explore five facts about the 16th U.S. president and his policies on slavery. On September 22 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. read more
In 1863, Lincoln ordered the freedom of all slaves in the areas "in rebellion" (the Confederacy) and insisted on enforcement freeing millions of slaves, but he did not call for the immediate end of slavery everywhere in the U.S. until the proposed 13th Amendment became part of his party platform for the 1864 election. read more