‘Slavery, At Last, Is At An End’: Reporting on the Ratification of the 13th Amendment in Ireland

Irish in the American Civil War

150 years ago today the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery was ratified– it’sadoption was proclaimed on 18th December by Secretary of State William H. Seward. As we have explored on the site, the ideological motivations forthe service of Union Irish soldiers (where it existed) seem to have been stronglytilted towards preserving the Union, rather than the abolition of slavery. Indeed, it is fair to say that the majority of...