What were the series of laws passed by the federal government designed to liberate slaves in seceded states called?

The series of laws passed by the federal government designed to liberate slaves in seceded states is referred to as the Confiscation Acts. These acts, notably the first in 1861 and the second in 1862, were significant in the context of the Civil War as they aimed to undermine the Confederacy by declaring that enslaved people who were used in the service of the Confederate military would be considered free.

The first Confiscation Act allowed the Union army to seize Confederate property, including enslaved individuals, who were then declared free. The second act expanded on this by stating that not only were these enslaved individuals free, but it also called for the enlistment of black soldiers into the Union forces. This represented a shift in federal policy, moving toward a more aggressive stance on emancipation and reflecting the changing attitudes toward slavery in the context of the war.

Understanding this context helps to see the pivotal role that these acts played in the broader strategy of the Union to achieve victory while also addressing the moral imperative of ending slavery in the United States.