Copies of two of the most important documents in American history brought in record prices at Sotheby's June 26. One was a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the war freeing the slaves in states not in rebellion against the United States. The other was a copy of the Thirteenth Amendment which enshrined universal freedom and an end to slavery in the U.S. Constitution. The respect for these documents today when the nation is divided perhaps as much as it has been since the Civil War is heartening. Out of the darkness and despair of that terrible time America made a great leap forward to living up to its ideals. History can repeat itself.
The Thirteenth Amendment sold for $13.7 million. That was over five times the previous highest price of $2.4 million achieved for a Thirteenth Amendment at Sotheby's in 2016. It is just one of 15 recorded copies signed by President Lincoln and one of nine also signed by several of the senators and congressmen who voted for its passage. This is just one of four copies in private hands. It has more congressional signatures than the others.
The words of the Thirteenth Amendment are brief, but finally made the ideals behind the words “all men are created equal” the law of the land. It reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” While the Emancipation Proclamation freed most slaves, though not all, it did not carry the authority of a constitutional amendment and could have been challenged after the war. Lincoln understood that it needed to be enshrined in the Constitution to assure its permanence, and such might not have been possible as the southern states were reinstated into the Union. They might oppose an end to slavery.
On signing the Thirteenth Amendment, President Lincoln said, “I am President of the United States, clothed with great power. The abolition of slavery by Constitutional provisions settles the fate, for all … not only of the millions now in bondage, but of unborn millions to come…”
The copy of the Emancipation Proclamation sold for $4.4 million, also a record price, exceeding the previous high of $3.8 million at Sotheby's in 2010. This is one of 48 copies signed by Lincoln printed to be sold for $10 each to benefit the Sanitary Commission. The Sanitary Commission assisted wounded soldiers during the war. Only 27 of these copies are known to have survived. When Lincoln signed the original document on January 1, 1863, he was quoted as saying, “I never in my life felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper.” While Lincoln abhorred slavery, he entered the Civil War to preserve the Union, not to end slavery. However, the ongoing war gave him the opportunity to right the terrible wrong he despised that was such a terrible stain on the fundamental rights for which the United States was founded.
The purchaser of both documents was Kenneth Griffin, founder and major holder of Citadel, an enormous investment firm. Griffen stated, “Since our founding, America has been on a journey to form a more perfect union. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment marked a profound step forward, abolishing the scourge of slavery and advancing the ideal that all people are created equal. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, we all have a part to play to strengthen and renew the promise of our nation. Each generation must experience the sacred documents of our democracy—to learn from them and be inspired to carry our country forward. I care deeply about the future of our nation and hope to inspire all Americans to uphold the vision set forth in our Constitution and the 13th Amendment.” He plans to loan the documents to a U.S. institution.
