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What did John Fremont and David Hunter do to exceed the limits of the first contraband, only to be countermanded by Lincoln?

User Tony Davis
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Final answer:

John Fremont and David Hunter accepted fugitive slaves who sought refuge behind Union army lines during the Civil War, considering them 'contraband of war.' However, Abraham Lincoln countermanded their actions and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Step-by-step explanation:

John Fremont and David Hunter exceeded the limits of the first contraband by accepting fugitive slaves who sought refuge behind Union army lines during the Civil War. They considered these runaway slaves as 'contraband of war,' just like enemy horses or cannons, and took them in. However, Abraham Lincoln countermanded their actions by adopting a more standard policy for dealing with runaway slaves and ultimately issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared millions of enslaved people in Confederate-controlled territory to be free.

User Brady Isom
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