The Only Emancipation in the U.S. by Popular Vote - Maryland on November 1, 1864 - 150 Years Ago Today

It's not well known how emancipation came to the United States. 

At the time of the Revolutionary Was slavery was lawful in all 13 states. Between 1776 and 1861 just about all the northern states abolished slavery or were close to completing abolition.

Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the Confederacy but there were still 4 states in the Union that allowed slavery: Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. All four were reluctant to heed Lincoln's argument that if they didn't abolish slavery during the Civil War -- with compensation to the owners paid for by the federal government, the war would automatically abolish slavery with no payments to slavewners.

In Maryland those who opposed slavery, led by Thomas Swann, later a Maryland Governor, and John Pendleton Kennedy, another very interesting Maryland politician, author, and philanthropist, pushed for a new Maryland Constitution that would include a provision prohibiting slavery in our State. It said, "That hereafter, in this state (Maryland), there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except in punishment for crime ... and all persons held to service or labor as slaves, are hereby free."

The result was success, albeit by a very small vote margin. The voters of Maryland on November 1, 1864, exactly 150 years ago, adopted a new Constitution that abolished slavery in our State forever. 

The margin was extremely small, about 300 votes out of almost 60,000 cast, with the votes of Maryland soldiers serving in the Union Army overwhelmingly in favor of freedom. And historians have pointed out that there was a great deal of fraud and intimidation in the election.

Still, Maryland abolished slavery by vote of its people. I believe no other state can say that, and I doubt that any other state or nation in history can say that. Marylanders have the right to be very proud of this accomplishment today on its 150th anniversary.