150 Years of Emancipation

150 years ago, January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — a turning point in the Civil War and a declaration that slavery would come to an end in the United States. With the release of the film “Lincoln,” renewed attention is being paid to this time in history and President Lincoln’s work to reconcile members of Congress to agree to end slavery. This article in the New York Times reminds us of Lincoln’s own evolution of ideas about slavery over the years. Share this article with young adults and talk about how their beliefs or ideas about an important issue have changed with time:

  • What do you think of this article? What did you learn? (And if young adults have seen the movie, “Lincoln,” you might ask how the portrayal of Lincoln in the article compares to what they saw in the film.)
  • How have your beliefs or ideas about an issue changed over time? Who or what influenced the change?