Lecturer in Law Christian Samito authors Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment

Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment recounts the gradual change in Abraham Lincoln’s views on Constitutional amendment.

Christian Samito, lecturer in law and scholar of American constitutional and legal history, has published a new book, titled Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment (Southern Illinois University Press, September 2015).

Samito’s book weaves together Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and the Constitution’s concurrent transformation. By tracing Lincoln’s evolving political views throughout his career, Samito notes changes in Lincoln’s beliefs regarding the Constitution and its need for amendment. Before the Civil War, Lincoln recognized that slavery posed a threat to the nation’s survival, but Constitutional amendment conflicted with some of his long-held positions. The book highlights the shifts in Lincoln’s policies that culminated in his support for amending the Constitution and examines his efforts to build congressional and public backing for the measure.

This historical exploration concludes with a section discussing the connection between the Thirteenth Amendment and modern politics. Samito uses current events to contextualize present affirmation of the Thirteenth Amendment. For example, since 2010, the White House has proclaimed every January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month but officially ends the event on National Freedom Day on February 1, the day Lincoln signed the resolution sending the Thirteenth Amendment to the states for ratification, to emphasize that the Amendment applies to human trafficking. Overall, Samito claims, Lincoln’s accomplishments remain relevant to today’s legislation and modern political ideals, especially in protecting some civil rights and individual liberties. He notes that the Thirteenth Amendment’s broad reach often provides a better defense against infringement of rights than the Fourteenth Amendment because the Fourteenth Amendment requires state action while the Thirteenth Amendment does not.

Samito joined the BU Law faculty as a lecturer in law in 2009, and teaches courses in Constitutional history. In addition to teaching, he is a practicing attorney at his own private practice, Samito Law LLC, which he founded in February 2015. The practice handles business litigation, intellectual property, and tort matters. Samito became a member of the Massachusetts bar in 1998 and he also has a doctorate in U.S. History.

Passionate about his field, Samito frequently speaks about legal history, and has held talks at a Massachusetts Bar Association program, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the Boston Public Library, among others. His legal writing has been featured in acclaimed publications including The Wall Street Journal and Forbes.com. In addition toLincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment, Samito has written or edited four other books about American history and law.