James Epperson recently posted on social media a piece of legislation passed by the Florida legislature in 1864 in response to Abraham Lincoln’s reelection. By the time the resolution was passed, Atlanta had fallen, Sherman was marching to the sea, Confederate armies in the Shenandoah and Tennessee were almost defeated and Robert E. Lee’s army was besieged in Petersburg and Richmond. Still, the legislature said it would prefer Florida’s “annihilation” over a peaceful reunion with the United States.
As the first sentence of the resolution says, the vote was necessary because the people of the United States, by reelecting Lincoln, had pledged themselves “to continue the war for the emancipation and arming our slaves against us…” The resolution also condemned the North for “the degradation of the white race and exaltation of the black race…”
Thanks to Sarah Pioggia for doing the research that uncovered this.
It is interesting to note this as Tallahassee was one of the two Confederate state capitals that were never captured by the time the war ended in April of 1865, besides Austin, Texas.
I’ve seen primary evidence from Texas state political/military figures and bodies avowing they’d be willing to abolish slavery in order achieve Confederate independence from this same contemporaneous time.
Having said that, there is a wide scope of evidence from this timeframe on both sides as to a new found flexibility/pragmatism/progressiveness towards slavery and race issues and a simultaneous and hardline ‘digging in of the heels’ on these for both sides as well.
Excellent post and evidence!
I would again like to thank the Admin for devotion of his time and energy, that he isn’t obliged to give might I add, towards this webpage and bringing these historical evidences to light.
Please keep up the great work!
Without fear-how we’re they to keep the population fighting. Nothing is here is surprising. The fear of this time period is what happened in Jamaica.
Roger-
I’m sorry but I don’t think I quite understand what you’re trying to convey.
Can you please explain and/or expand a bit more?
Thank you.