Lincoln and Frederick Douglass Black abolitionist leader and
former slave Frederick Douglass believed that African Americans
could achieve freedom and full citizenship only by participating
in the war. Because Lincoln’s first concern was preserving the
Union, he did not publicly support the recruitment of black
soldiers until after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on
January 1, 1863. Following the proclamation Douglass recruited
two regiments of black soldiers—in which two of his own sons
served. Among the first black men to be invited to the White
House, Douglass met with Lincoln to address issues concerning
unequal pay and treatment of African American soldiers and other
matters. View all items from Lincoln and Frederick Douglass »