Half right. Missouri amended her constitution to end slavery in January 1865, before the end of the war.
On January 1, 1863, he issued the final Emancipation Proclamation. With it he officially freed all slaves within the states or parts of states that were in rebellion and not in Union hands. This left one million slaves in Union territory still in bondage.
Because it required a constitutional amendment to end slavery in areas not in rebellion. Something Lincoln pushed through before he was murdered.
Correct me if I’m wrong - didn’t the U. S. Constitution permit slavery and wasn’t the federal side fighting the war to preserve the constitution?
Not 100% accurate.
Slavery could also be ended by state action. As it was everywhere but KY, about 50k, and DE, a few hundred.
All other slaves in America were freed by state action, sometimes puppet state governments, or by the Emancipation Proclamation, the vast majority.
13A thus did not free many slaves. What it did do was prohibit the institution of slavery. Without 13A in theory a state could have reinstituted slavery. They were also worried about possible judicial decisions that the EP wasn't constitutional.
Also, while Lincoln lobbied for 13A, the president has no constitutional role in amendments. It wasn't ratified under December 65, some time after his death.
I’m endlessly amused at people saying Lincoln was a tyrant, then damning him for not being more tyrannical.