Today in History, September 22nd
On September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Plus Nathan Hale's execution and the start of the Iran-Iraq War.
Published · Last updated
September 22 is best known for 1862, when Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, giving the Confederacy 100 days’ notice. The date also marks Nathan Hale’s execution as a spy in 1776 and Iraq’s invasion of Iran in 1980.
The big story: Lincoln issues the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (1862)
Lincoln had the idea well before he had the moment. In July 1862 he told his cabinet he planned to free enslaved people in the rebel states. His cabinet talked him into waiting for a Union victory first. The Battle of Antietam in Maryland that September gave him the opening he needed. Five days later, on September 22, Lincoln made it public. The preliminary proclamation warned the Confederate states that anyone held as a slave in an area still in rebellion on January 1, 1863, would be free. That gave the South 100 days, and the final proclamation followed on schedule. The announcement changed the war’s meaning. It made the Union cause a fight against slavery, and it made it very hard for Britain or France to side with the South. Because a proclamation is not a law, Lincoln later pushed for the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery in 1865.
More events on September 22
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1776 | The British hanged Nathan Hale, a 21-year-old Continental Army captain, in New York City for spying. His famous last words may never have been said. |
| 1914 | The German submarine U-9 sank three British cruisers, the Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy, in the North Sea in about an hour. About 1,400 British sailors died. |
| 1961 | President John F. Kennedy signed legislation making the Peace Corps a permanent agency. |
| 1975 | Sara Jane Moore fired at President Gerald Ford outside a San Francisco hotel. A bystander grabbed her arm and the shot missed. It was the second attempt on Ford in 17 days. |
| 1980 | Iraqi forces invaded Iran, starting the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted until a 1988 cease-fire. |
| 1985 | Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp held the first Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois, to help family farmers. |
| 1994 | Friends premiered on NBC. It ran for 10 seasons. |
| 2015 | Yogi Berra, the Yankees catcher who played in 14 World Series and was famous for his “Yogi-isms,” died in Montclair, New Jersey, at 90. |
Born on September 22
- 1791: Michael Faraday, scientist who built the first electric motor and dynamo, born in Newington, Surrey, England.
- 1958: Joan Jett, rock singer and guitarist of “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
- 1958: Andrea Bocelli, Italian tenor who blends opera and pop, born in Lajatico, Italy.
Keep reading
Sources
- Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, History.com
- Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, National Archives
- Patriot executed for spying, History.com
- U-boat devastates British squadron, History.com
- President Kennedy signs Peace Corps legislation, History.com
- President Ford survives second assassination attempt, History.com
- Iran-Iraq War, History.com
- The first Farm Aid concert is held, History.com
- Friends debuts, History.com
- Yogi Berra, Encyclopaedia Britannica
. Today in history… #Bilbo and #Frodo. Okay, fine. #MiddleEarth history.
Haha, I love it!