[sheyboer]

I learned from the lectures that Lincoln was a major reason why earlier attempts to compromise and save the Union failed. However, I recall hearing from another source that Lincoln supported the “13th Amendment that never was.” I believe it is referred to as the Corwin Amendment. If that is true, would that be evidence that Lincoln was willing to compromise after all? If so, why did the Amendment never gain further traction? Is it because Lincoln, instead of focusing on compromise, focused on finding a way to draw the South into firing the “first shot”?

[Brion McClanahan]

Lincoln mentioned the amendment briefly in his first inaugural and said he had not opposition to it, but he actions before and after his inaugural don’t support that. It was passed before he took office and sent to the States for ratification, but the War halted possibility of ratification. Even so, the Deep South would probably not have come back in the Union at that point. They were fully committed to independence.

[Author]

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