"By His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, a Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer".
- Creator(s):
- Lincoln, Abraham.
- Title:
- "By His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, a Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer".
- Description:
- The First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run was the first major conflict of the Civil War and a startling defeat for the Union. Following established practice, President Lincoln and Congress called for the nation “to pray for [God’s] mercy... that our arms may be blessed and made effectual for the re-establishment of law, order, and peace, throughout the wide extent of our country.” Enslaved people, including many forced to work for the Confederate Army, prayed with their feet. Fugitives by the thousands sought to cross Union lines. During the following winter and spring, abolitionists intensified their agitation for emancipation, and Congress held prolonged debates on anti-slavery measures.
- Source:
- Photograph by Vincent Dilio. Courtesy of David M. Rubenstein.
- Citation:
- Lincoln, Abraham. "By His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, a Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer". [N.P.: n.p.], 1861.