Contact: Rachel Friedman, 727-443-7115 ext 206

Rachel@newsandexperts.com

February Marks 145th Anniversary of

Abolishment of Slavery
Expert Describes Events That Led to 13th Amendment
As America approaches the 145th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln
signing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution – the act that not only freed the
slaves but also made slave ownership perpetually illegal in America – Frank
Meredith wants to shine a little perspective on the celebration.

“On one hand, we can’t ignore that we’ve gone from the enslavement of African
Americans to now having an African American president,” said Meredith, author
of the Civil War novel The Unfinished Work from Savannah Books
(www.theunfinishedwork.com). “What many people don’t realize, however, is that
the 13th Amendment – while changing the law – did not change the attitudes of
most Americans. The majority of Americans did not hail the signing of the 13th
Amendment as a victory, and most did little or nothing to help the newly freed
slaves assimilate into the population of free people.”

Meredith added that many perceptions of the views of Northerners and

Southerners during the Civil War simply aren’t based in reality.

“Most people think all Southerners were pro-slavery, but 2/3 of the Confederate
soldiers never owned slaves,” he said. “And Northerners’ views towards black
people were not much different from Southerners. To the bulk of the population,
slavery back then was less about race relations – which not that many people
cared about – than it was about business. President Lincoln’s emancipation of
the slaves was not widely revered.”

In fact, the founding fathers initially attempted to abolish slavery with the writing
of the Constitution, but the pressure to maintain the status quo overwhelmed
those efforts, according to Meredith.

“That’s the reason I called my book The Unfinished Work,” he said. “It’s a line
from the Gettysburg Address that President Lincoln uses to refer to the
unfinished work of the founding fathers, who had intended to outlaw slavery from
the very beginning of our country.”

In at least one way, Meredith believes that there is a direct parallel between the
145th anniversary of the 13th Amendment’s signing and the day it was signed
back in 1865.
“The signing was a milestone, but it didn’t change opinions,” he said. “While the
moral basis for the 13th Amendment was sound, it didn’t necessarily reflect the
idea that most Americans were behind the act. The election of President Barack
Obama was very similar. While it was a great milepost for race relations – and it
is the ultimate expression of America as the melting pot of world cultures and
ethnicities – there are still reminders that not everyone is of one accord. We have
come a long way with race relations since the 100th anniversary of the 13th
Amendment in 1965, but just because we have a black president now doesn’t
mean there isn’t work left to do. Hate and bigotry still live. There are still people
out there who don’t like President Obama, not because of his politics, but
because of the color of his skin.

“Achieving freedom for all while esteeming each other as equals is humankind’s
unfinished work. And that work requires each and every one of us to examine our
hearts and minds, and then do our part to treat each other with the dignity and
respect we all desire.”

About Frank Meredith

Frank Meredith grew up in Hanover, Pennsylvania, where he witnessed the

100th Anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Hanover in 1963, and he has
been a Civil War buff ever since. His non-fiction writing has appeared in several
newspapers and journals. He holds degrees in music from The King’s College
and Ithaca College, and he was awarded a Doctoral Fellowship in conducting at
Northwestern University.

To interview Frank Meredith or to request a review copy of “The Unfinished

Work,” please contact Rachel Friedman at (727) 443-7115 ext. 206 or email
Rachel@NewsAndExperts.com Please include your name, publication, and
mailing address with your request.