1862-May-01: Despite the remaining opposition, the Republican-controlled Congress passed the bill authorizing the President to appoint diplomatic representat…

1862-May-01: Despite the remaining opposition, the Republican-controlled Congress passed the bill authorizing the President to appoint diplomatic representatives to Haiti and Liberia. President Lincoln signed the measure into law, finally ending Haiti’s status as a diplomatic “outcast.” This act marked the successful conclusion of a sixty-year struggle by Northern merchants and abolitionists. By according Haiti formal sovereign status, the United States not only secured its commercial interests but also signaled a fundamental shift in its foreign policy toward the Caribbean and the African race during the height of the Civil War.