Legislation1861
First Confiscation Act Signed
President Lincoln signed the First Confiscation Act, authorizing the seizure of property, including enslaved people, used in support of the Confederate rebellion. While limited in scope, it was the first federal legislation to address the status of enslaved people in the Confederacy.
Why It Matters
The First Confiscation Act was an early legal step toward emancipation, establishing the principle that the federal government could interfere with slavery as a war measure, paving the way for the Emancipation Proclamation.