I feel that January 1st is the day of the year that is most suitable as a day of honor and celebration for the United States of America. On January 1 in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves in states under Confederate control. To assure the legality of the emancipation, Lincoln pressed for the passage of a constitutional amendment that would bar slavery forever. That goals of abolishing slavery in all parts of the United States became reality with the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. It was passed by Congress in January and ratified by the states in December 1865, only several months after the close of the American Civil War. With the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1954, Lincoln became devoted to a cause for the first time in his career. It aroused Lincoln, in his words, "as he had never been before". He became a charismatic spokesperson for the antislavery forces. Lincoln openly expressed his belief that slavery did not concur with American democracy: "When the white man governs himself," he said, "that is self-government; but when he governs himself, and he also governs another man-that is despotism. If the Negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that "all men are created equal," and that there can be no moral right in connection with one mans" making slave of another." The Constitution of the United States recognized the legality of slavery, the ultimate form of discrimination. With a renewed desire and passion, Lincoln bravely put an end to the appalling practice by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. In his statement he declared free all slaves under Confederate control, bestowing liberty on over 3,120,000 slaves. Almost 186, 000 of these former slaves displayed their gratitude to him by accepting the invitation in his Proclamation to join the Union army. Despite the enormous gains that had already been made, President Lincoln did not stop there in his fight against slavery.
