Tide Turns Case 2
Commemorating the 13th Amendment
Passing the 13th Amendment through the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865, was a pivotal moment on the long road to ending chattel slavery, but we tend to forget the Senate had already passed it back in April. Among those senators was James Harlan of Iowa—a Republican and Abraham Lincoln supporter. To commemorate the momentous occasion, Harlan collected small photo portraits called cartes-de-visite (CDVs) and signatures of each member who voted for the amendment.
This is Harlan’s volume for the House of Representatives. At the time, his daughter Mary Harlan was being courted by Robert Todd Lincoln. The couple married in 1868 and their family kept these CDV albums as heirlooms for generations before eventually donating them to this library. Together, the volumes testify to how the Lincoln and Harlan families both successfully fought to expand freedom in America.
Gift of Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, 1978
AV-LR1050
Label Audio