I was watching the Daily Show and they showed clips from Fox News about different interputations of the reasons for the civil war and how Licoln could have bought all the slaves or mandated they be paid. John Stewart then made a claim that Licoln had actually tried to do just that in the border states but was throughly resisted in getting any traction with these plans. So this question popped into my head from there. Any more details around Lincoln's plans or of any slave owner that changed independently would be interesting
In states where manumission was more common it was often the norm for manumitted slaves to continue to receive support (financial and otherwise) from their former masters. In regards to specific slave owners, Edward Coles is probably the most notable of the Antebellum era. A close confident of James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson, he sold his plantation and brought his slaves north. While traveling along the Monongahela River Coles informed his slaves that he was manumitting them, captured in this image. Coles went on to be a major player in stopping the spread of slavery into Illinois and Indiana.
Even if they were paid, would they be able to buy stuff? Own property? Hire a service? Eat at a restaurant?
