▁explore ▁the ▁Amazon ▁. ▁ ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁proposed ▁as ▁a ▁vice - pres ident ial ▁running ▁mate ▁to ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁when ▁Lincoln ▁first ▁sought ▁the ▁Pres iden cy ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁although ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁ultimately ▁not ▁selected . ▁Kennedy ▁became ▁a ▁force ful ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁he ▁supported ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation . ▁Later , ▁since ▁the ▁pro clam ation ▁did ▁not ▁free ▁Maryland ▁slaves ▁because ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁re bell ion , ▁he ▁also ▁used ▁his ▁influence ▁to ▁push ▁for ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁Maryland ▁that ▁ultimately ▁ended ▁sla very ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 . ▁ ▁Position ▁on ▁religious ▁toler ance ▁ ▁Kennedy ▁called ▁for ▁ere ct ing ▁a ▁monument ▁to ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Maryland ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁religious ▁freedom ▁in ▁its ▁original ▁colonial ▁settlement ▁in ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁City , ▁Maryland . ▁Three ▁local ▁citizens ▁then ▁expanded ▁on ▁his ▁idea ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁school ▁that ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁" L iving ▁Monument " ▁to ▁religious ▁freedom . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁founded ▁as ▁such ▁a ▁monument ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 ▁by ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature . ▁Its ▁original ▁name ▁was ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁Sem inary , ▁but ▁it ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁College ▁of ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁Ear lier , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Maryland ▁state ▁legisl ature