标题：美国南北战争颁布的法令
《宅地法》
1862年美国总统林肯颁布的旨在无偿分配美国西部国有土地给广大移民的法令。 
美国独立后，联邦政府对西部土地实行国有化，并决定按地段分块出售，以增加政府的收入，偿还国债和满足土地投机者的要求。但出售土地单位面积大、价格高，西部移民无力购买，因而展开了长期争取无偿分配土地的斗争。由于南部奴隶主的阻挠，直到内战前，无偿授予移民土地的法案均被参议院否决。 
南部奴隶主的政治代表退出国会后，林肯政府得以实现共和党提出的宅地纲领，国会众议院和参议院于1862年2月28日和5月6日先后通过了宅地法。5月20日林肯颁布此项法令。 
《宅地法》规定，凡一家之长或年满21岁、从未参加叛乱之合众国公民，在宣誓获得土地是为了垦殖目的并缴纳10美元费用后，均可登记领取总数不超过160英亩（1英亩=0.40公顷）宅地，登记人在宅地上居住并耕种满5年，就可获得土地执照而成为该项宅地的所有者。《宅地法》还规定一项折偿条款，即如果登记人提出优先购买的申请，可于6个月后，以每英亩1.25美元的价格购买之。这一条款后来被土地投机者所利用。据统计，依据《宅地法》及其补充法令，联邦政府到1950年有2.5亿英亩土地授予移民。 
《宅地法》在一定程度上满足了西部垦殖农民的土地要求，确立了小农土地所有制，从而为美国农业资本主义的发展创造了有利条件。它的实施也鼓舞了西部农民反对南部奴隶主的斗争，遏制了奴隶制种植园向西扩展。在南北战争中，西部农民为联邦军队输送了半数以上的士兵，并提供了充足的粮食，对北方取得战争的胜利起了重要的作用。
《解放奴隶宣言》
1861年，林肯签署了《关于解放黑人奴隶的宣言》；1963年，马丁.路德金在林肯纪念碑前发表了著名演说《我有一个梦想》。故人已去，宣言犹在，而38年前，马丁路德金关于“种族平等”的梦想却再一次被枪声粉碎！
《解放奴隶宣言》（The Emancipation Proclamation）是份由美国总统亚伯拉罕·林肯公布的宣言，其主张所有美利坚邦联叛乱下的领土之黑奴应享有自由，然而豁免的对象包含未脱离联邦的边境州，以及联邦掌控下的诸州。此宣言仅立即解放少部分奴隶，但实质上强化联邦军掌控邦联的领土后这些黑奴自由的权威性，并为最终废除全美奴隶制度预先铺路。整份宣言分成两个部分发布：第一部分发布于1862年9月22日，是份概述第二部分目的的准备公告；第二部分正式生效于1863年1月1日，此时正处于南北战争的第二年，其中包含亚伯拉罕·林肯的声明：所有脱离联邦并回到邦联掌控下的州之奴隶最迟于1863年1月1日后当被解放。有十个州的名字在第二部分公布时被逐一提及，可有意忽略了马里兰州、德拉瓦州（当时皆未脱离联邦）、田纳西州（已确实在联邦控制之下）、密苏里州以及肯塔基州（已存有几个被邦联接受的派系政府，但仍未正式脱离联邦）。特别豁免权由48个连署成立西维吉尼亚州以及其他被举列的维吉尼亚州郡表述；另外还包含纽奥良和几个被列举为联邦掌控之下的路易斯安那州郡。
历史影响
国内除了对黑奴有限的立即效果外，此宣言象征北方人的战争目的改变：重整联邦不再是战争唯一的目的。这代表一个迈向废除全联邦奴隶制度的重要阶段。 
此外，有些黑奴因宣言而立即重获自由。这些在联邦边际线脱逃且为联邦军队称作“战争违禁品”（contraband of war）的黑奴被带到走私管制营区；当宣言生效后，他们在半夜被告知可以自由离开。另外，佐治亚州外海的岛屿在战争期间为联邦海军所占领，故当地白人多逃回美洲大陆，留下黑奴在此生活。海军将官当他们的面读诵宣言并告知他们自由了。 
军队里对此宣言的反应各有不同。部分单位差点发动兵谏，有些则因听说此宣言而集体开小差；但另一方面，其他单位盼望该理想能立法通过使其更显尊贵，为此至少一个单位采用了格言：“为联邦与自由”。 
而对邦联而言，黑奴问题是“战争发动机”的一部分：这些黑奴负责生产和存备食粮、修复铁路、在农田与工场中作工、运输船只、挖矿、建筑防御工事以及从事看护工作和一般劳工。为了激发邦联内部黑奴们的不满，数以百万份的《解放黑奴宣言》在联邦占领的邦联属地流传。而且如同期望般，此消息透过口传方式迅速散播，并燃起人们对自由的希冀和造成大众的混乱，以及鼓励许多黑奴起身脱逃。国际在海外，如同林肯的期望，此宣言使他国民意转而支持联邦终结奴隶制度的承诺。这种转变粉碎邦联政府获取他国官方承认的希望，特别是与英国。如同亨利·亚当斯（Henry Adams）所言：“《解放黑奴宣言》比我们之前的胜仗与外交策略做得更多。”
内战之后
战争末期，美国共和党中的废奴论者推断一旦战争结束后《解放黑奴宣言》将可能被解读成一份违宪的战时命令，故他们千方百计想保障所有黑奴的自由，而非仅止于宣言赋予的解放。在此压力下，林肯以他在1864年的总统选战作为他将透过宪法修正案的方式废除全国奴隶制度之赌注。林肯的选战获得马里兰州与密苏里州分裂票数支持；马里兰州于1864年11月1日生效的新宪章废除奴隶制度。赢得连任后，林肯强力催促“跛鸭的”第38届国会在第39届国会集会立即通过宪法修正案。1865年1月31日国会通知各州议员批准将成为美国宪法第13号修正案的法案，其禁止美国国土上任何的畜奴行为。1865年12月6日，修正案为足够多的州所认可。其作为一个实行的法条，至今为止肯塔基州是全美唯一不为修正案以外方式解放黑奴的地方。
林肯法令原稿
Text of the Emancipation Proclamation(second part)
A Proclamation. 
Whereas, on the 22d day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: 
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom. 
"That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." 
Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit: 
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkeley, Accomack, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Anne, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth), and which excepted parts, are for the present left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued. 
And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons. 
And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages. 
And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service. 
And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God. 
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. 
Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh. 
By the President: Abraham Lincoln 
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.