Signing of the Territorial Slavery Act

Date: June 19, 1862 • Location: Washington, United States

President Abraham Lincoln signs the Territorial Slavery Act of 1862, which prohibits slavery in all current and future United States territories.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederacy and playing a major role in the abolition of slavery.