Editing Reconstruction era (section)

===Preliminary events===
[[File:Abraham Lincoln O-77 matte collodion print.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Abraham Lincoln]], 16th [[President of the United States]] (1861–1865)]]

President Lincoln signed two [[Confiscation Acts]] into law, the first on August 6, 1861, and the second on July 17, 1862, safeguarding fugitive slaves who crossed from the Confederacy across Union lines and giving them indirect emancipation if their masters continued insurrection against the United States. The laws allowed the confiscation of lands for colonization from those who aided and supported the rebellion. However, these laws had limited effect as they were poorly funded by Congress and poorly enforced by Attorney General [[Edward Bates]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cimbala |first1=Paul A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZKybV1mPbcC |title=An uncommon time: the Civil War and the northern home front |last2=Miller |first2=Randall M. |publisher=Fordham University Press |year=2002 |isbn=9780823221950 |edition=1st |series=North's Civil War |location=New York |pages=285, 305 |via=Google Books}}</ref>{{sfnp|Wagner|Gallagher|McPherson|2002|pp=735–736}}<ref name="Williams 2006 pp. 54–59">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Frank J. |title=The Emancipation Proclamation : three views (social, political, iconographic) |publisher=Louisiana State University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780807155486 |location=Baton Rouge |pages=54–59 |chapter='Doing Less' and 'Doing More': The President and the Proclamation Legally, Militarily, Politically}}</ref>

In August 1861, Major General [[John C. Frémont]], Union commander of the Western Department, declared martial law in [[Missouri]], confiscated Confederate property, and emancipated their slaves. Lincoln immediately ordered Frémont to rescind his emancipation declaration, stating: "I think there is great danger that{{nbsp}}... the liberating slaves of traitorous owners, will alarm our Southern Union friends, and turn them against us—perhaps ruin our fair prospect for Kentucky." After Frémont refused to rescind the emancipation order, Lincoln terminated him from active duty on November 2, 1861. Lincoln was concerned that the border states would secede from the Union if slaves were given their freedom. On May 26, 1862, Union Major General [[David Hunter]] emancipated slaves in South Carolina, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and Florida, declaring all "persons&nbsp;... heretofore held as slaves{{nbsp}}... forever free". Lincoln, embarrassed by the order, rescinded Hunter's declaration and canceled the emancipation.{{sfnp|Guelzo|1999|pp=[https://archive.org/details/abrahamlincolnre00guel/page/290 290–291]}}

On April 16, 1862, Lincoln signed a bill into law outlawing slavery in Washington, D.C., and freeing the estimated 3,500 slaves in the city. On June 19, 1862, he signed legislation outlawing slavery in all U.S. territories. On July 17, 1862, under the authority of the Confiscation Acts and an amended Force Bill of 1795, he authorized the recruitment of freed slaves into the U.S. Army and seizure of any Confederate property for military purposes.<ref name="Williams 2006 pp. 54–59"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Trefousse |first=Hans L. |title=Historical Dictionary of Reconstruction |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1991 |isbn=9780313258626 |location=New York |pages=viiii}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Abraham Lincoln |url=http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Abraham_Lincoln |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719122659/http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Abraham_Lincoln |archive-date=July 19, 2010 |access-date=July 21, 2010 |work=Blue and Gray Trail}}</ref>