Black History
April 1862 Abraham Lincoln Satirical Political Cartoon on the "District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act"
April 1862-Dated Civil War Period, Satirical Black History and Slavery Related Political Cartoon with President Abraham Lincoln titled, "Oberon and Titania", Published by Punch, Britian, Choice Crisp Near Mint.
Historic Abraham Lincoln related, April 1862 Satirical Political Cartoon on the "District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act". Special heavy period wove paper cardstock print from the British publication "Punch", measuring a large 10.5" x 13.25" excellent for framing and display. The artist uses Shakespeare's characters, President Abraham Lincoln as "Oberon" and Lady Liberty/Columbia as "Titania". Lincoln states, "I do but beg a little N.....R (the "N" word in all Caps) boy, to be my henchman". Columbia responds, "Set your heart at rest, the NORTHERN land buys not the child of me".
In November 1861, President Lincoln drafted an Act to be introduced before the legislature of Delaware, one of the four Non-Free States that remained loyal (the others being Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri), for "Compensated Emancipation". Only in the District of Columbia, which fell under direct Federal auspices, was Compensated Emancipation enacted. On April 16, 1862, President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. This law prohibited Slavery in the District, forcing its 900-odd Slaveholders to free their Slaves, with the federal government paying owners an average of about $300 for each Slave freed. Passage of this law came 8 1/2 months before President Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation!
The District of Columbia Emancipation Act:
On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill ending Slavery in the District of Columbia. Passage of this law came 8 1/2 months before President Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation.
The act brought to a conclusion decades of agitation aimed at ending what antislavery advocates called "the national shame" of Slavery in the nation's capital. It provided for immediate emancipation, compensation to former owners who were loyal to the Union of up to $300 for each freed Slave, voluntary colonization of former Slaves to locations outside the United States, and payments of up to $100 for each person choosing emigration. Over the next 9 months, the Board of Commissioners appointed to administer the act approved 930 petitions, completely or in part, from former owners for the freedom of 2,989 former slaves.
Although its combination of emancipation, compensation to owners, and colonization did not serve as a model for the future, the District of Columbia Emancipation Act was an early signal of slavery's death. In the District itself, African Americans greeted emancipation with great jubilation. For many years afterward, they celebrated Emancipation Day on April 16 with parades and festivals.