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Emancipation Proclamation : The Failures And Successes

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Emancipation Proclamation: the failures and successes “The beginning of the Civil War marked the beginning of the end of slavery in the American South” (Berlin, 3). The Civil War started from opposing states’ opinions; the South thrived on slavery’s economic impact while the North opposed the institution. The issue of slavery divided the nation, and the contrasting views of the anti-abolitionists and abolitionists caused the war to occur. Slavery’s impact in the United States started in the 1600’s, and the large influence made the process of ending the enslavement of blacks more difficult. The Emancipation Proclamation served as an important government document, containing controversial ideas about abolishing slavery. Lincoln issued the …show more content…

President Lincoln 's executive order took the first step in passing a law that stopped slavery in the nation as a whole, or at least in the states controlled by the Union (Richter 217-218). The Emancipation Proclamation ignited the reconstruction movement, yet it failed to release any men from the bondage of slavery. Furthermore, the executive order reflected the Republican Party’s platform and prevented the expansion of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation declared “military emancipation of all slaves in states in rebellion against Federal forces” (222), and it reaffirmed all slaves who escaped the control of the Confederate South as freedmen. This proclamation eliminated the fear escaping slaves faced of their owners since now a “refugee could, in good conscience, flee to Union forces” (Carnahan, 122) and escape extradition back to their Southern masters. With this order, Lincoln condemned slavery, and the rest of the Union followed his decision. Arguably, slavery fueled the war; therefore, the Emancipation Proclamation created large consequences for the nation’s unity. Without slavery, the Civil War would possibly not happened at all. Also the war started the end to an unnecessary and cruel institution of slavery.
President Lincoln strategically thought of the repercussions before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. He considered the necessity of emancipation on September 22, 1881, in a letter to Orville Browning, and he also questioned his executive power

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