Q: Were any new slaves imported, bought and sold during the Civil War years?
—Doyne Michie, Austell
A: Congress passed a bill in 1807 that prohibited the importation of slaves to the U.S. It went into effect on Jan. 1, 1808 and stated, "It shall not be lawful to import or bring into the United States or the territories thereof from any foreign kingdom, place, or country, any negro, mulatto, or person of colour, with intent to hold, sell, or dispose of such negro, mulatto, or person of colour, as a slave, or to be held to service or labour." According to several sources, the domestic slave trade continued in the Southern states leading up to and during the Civil War, even after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which didn't legally end slavery. Slavery in the U.S. officially came to an end with the Thirteenth Amendment, which was passed in 1865. It states, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
Q: When the Environmental Protection Agency fines a business for a violation, where does that money go, and what is it used for?
—Richard Morris, Newnan
A: The penalties must be placed into the U.S. Treasury, according to EPA officials, citing the Miscellaneous Receipts Act.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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