Panelists discussed President Lincoln’s timing of the release of the Emancipation Proclamation. They focused on the legal grounding for the proclamation and what it accomplished. The panelists also responded to questions from members of the audience. Former Rhode Island Chief Justice Frank Williams moderated.
“Lincoln Acts -- The Emancipation Proclamation” was the second session of “Lincoln & Emancipation: An Anniversary Symposium,” which was part of “The Lincoln Series” at the New York Historical Society. The all-day conference on Saturday January 23, 2010, marked the 147th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863.