Significance And Impact Of The Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln debates that the emancipation of slaves from the Emancipation Proclamation is making a big deal over really nothing. No slaves will be affected by the Emancipation Proclamation, because the people that have to enforce it will not enforce it. Lincoln compared it to how Pope Callixtus III excommunicated Halley’s Comet. The comet was seen as an omen of troubles to come to Pope Callixtus III so he just got rid of all of its affiliations from the church. Lincoln sees this as a chance to make it seem like a difference is being made in America with some slaves being set free but none really are. Lincoln also pointed out the problem if a mass amount of slaves started to come to the North for refuge. How could the North support all the slaves

When President Lincoln first called for troops to put down the confederate rebellion, he made no connection between this action and an attempt to end slavery. In fact, he explicitly stated "the utmost care will be observed to avoid any devastation, any destruction of, or interference with, property..." At this point, slavery was not yet integral to the struggle, it was much more important for the Union to air on the side of political prudence and avoid angering loyal boarder states. However, despite this lack of political dialogue, many abolitionists, slaves, and free blacks felt the war to preserve the union could also be a war to end slavery. In the end, they were right, as military need overwhelmed potential political dangers, slaves

“’One section of our country believes slavery is right, and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong, and ought to be restricted. That,’ he said with a touch of irony, ‘is the only substantial dispute’” (Oakes 140). People bickered whether or not Lincoln was doing the right thing by signing the Emancipation

As Americans were moving west to fulfill the Manifest Destiny and conquering new territories, new boundaries for the Union were having to be shaped. With the northern states having officially abolished slavery since 1804, the argument over which territories would be free or not was now coming into play. The North and South have had differing opinions regarding slavery for over sixty years, but with the topic being kept out of most, if not all, political debates the dispute never seemed to come to a head. After the

The coexistence of a slave owning south with an increasingly anti-slavery north made conflict likely. It was formidable to decide whether such states like the ones gained from the Mexican War should be slavery or anti-slavery, which either way would disrupt the balance between the slave and antislavery states. This divided the Union and Confederacy even further. Later on, President Lincoln sought not to propose federal laws against slavery where it already existed, but he had in his 1858 House Divided speech, expressed a desire to “arrest the further spread of it “(Doc. G). Much of the political battle in the 1850s focused on the expansion of slavery into the newly created territories. All of the organized territories were likely to become free soil states which increased the southern movement toward secession. Both north and south assumed that if slavery could not expand it would become nonexistent. Southern fears of losing control of the federal government to anti-slavery forces, and northern feared that the slave power already controlled the government; these thoughts brought the sectional disagreements. The morality of slavery, the scope of democracy, and the economic merits of free labor versus slave plantations caused the Whig and know nothing parties to collapse and the free soil party to arrive, ruining the resolve of compromise.

Brent Hadden IB TOK Mr. Knox March 13th, 2015 What was the most important effect that the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln, had during the American Civil War? On September 22, 1862, Lincoln gave the Confederacy a warning by issuing preliminary proclamation that gave the confederate states one of two options; join the Union by January 1, 1863 or lose your slaves. After none of the confederate states returned to the Union, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

On the 1st of January 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the emancipation Proclamation. It declared that in certain named rebellious areas and states slaves were “forever free” The purpose of the proclamation was on its face military necessity. It authorised the freed slaves to enlist in the military in attempt to bolster the unions army and navy. It was a significant political and military turning point in the civil war, and ultimately the abolition movement. In source A, Douglas T Miller describes the Emancipation Proclamation as ineffective in the liberation of slaves within America, stating “it actually free few people”.

The Emancipation Proclamation pathed the way for the 13th amendment. The Emancipation Proclamation also led to the end of slavery. This was also a presidential proclamation and executive order published by the president, Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It purported to change the federal legal status of more than 3 million slaves in the areas of the South, this made the slaves go from slavery to freedom. Freeing slaves was an immediate impact. The Confederate states we not happy. The reason they weren't happy because it took their slaves away from them, which means they have to find a new way to work. The laws were still strict in the south. The white racist people still remanded prejudice against the blacks, not letting them attend the

Although there were more than four million slaves living in the U.S. at this time, the Emancipation Proclamation did not formally free a single one of them. So that presents us with a couple of very interesting questions: first, why did Lincoln issue the proclamation if it had no practical effect? Second, why is the Emancipation Proclamation considered Lincoln's most important legacy if it didn't actually free anyone?

Lincoln still has not found the right man for the job. Richmond is under the control of the Confederates which is making is more and more furious and it is making him look bad. To try and salvage his reputation, he created the Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863. This such ruling is for the eleven rebellion states, to free the slaves. The Confederacy wasn't having it. This confused some people because Lincoln freed the slaves where he couldn't, instead of where he could. It was a smart business strategy to ensure the four states who had slavery, but were on the Union's side, stayed there. He also did this to prevent England and France from joining in on the Confederate side of war, which worked. Lincoln thought that

The fear of insurrection had a strong influence on the methods by which the Confederacy attempted to legislate against the possibility of slave insurrection. To begin, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 had the effect of forcing the Confederate government into hastily passing a widely unfavorable act. Through the point of view of Confederate Officials, they believed that the Emancipation Proclamation was purposely created to incite slave insurrections (283). The unfavorable act, The Conscription Act, was class biased and favored the upper class slaveholders (284).

Therefore , handicaping the effectiveness of the Confederate war effort. However, Lincoln needed to demonstate that the Union government is capable to impose the Proclamation and protect the freed slaves. On Spetember 22, 1862 , the priliminary Emancipation Proclamation was issued, this introductory proclamation took effect three months later on January 1, 1863. (ibid)

During his election campaign and throughout the early years of the Civil War, Lincoln vehemently denied the rumour that he would mount an attack on slavery. At the outbreak of fighting, he pledged to 'restore the Union, but accept slavery where it existed ', with Congress supporting his position via the Crittendon-Johnson Resolutions. However, during 1862 Lincoln was persuaded for a number of reasons that Negro emancipation as a war measure was both essential and sound. Public opinion seemed to be going that way, Negro slaves were helping the Southern war effort, and a string of defeats had left Northern morale low. A new moral boost to the cause might give weary Union soldiers added impetus in the fight. Furthermore, if the Union fought against slavery, Britain and France could not help the other side, since their 'peculiar institution ' was largely abhorred in both European nations. Having eased the American public into the idea, through speeches that hinted at emancipation, Lincoln finally signed the Proclamation on January 1st 1863, releasing all slaves behind rebel lines. Critics argued that the proclamation went little further than the Second Confiscation Act and it conveniently failed to release prisoners behind Union lines. Nevertheless, Henry Adams summed up public reaction to the Proclamation as an 'almost convulsive reaction in our favour '.

On January 1, 1963, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves in Confederate controlled areas liberated. The document contained specific details regarding freedom for slaves. Lincoln was quoted saying to the Secretary of State, “If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some slaves, I would also do that.” The latter is what was attained. While it declared slaves free in most Southern states, some select areas were exempted whilst others were not mentioned at all. Lincoln feared that these “border states”, where slavery was legal, would likewise join the Confederacy if they were included in the proclamation. The “border states” had decided to stay in the Union when other southern states seceded in 1861.

“I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” (Lincoln, “House Divided Speech”) Shortly after Lincoln spoke these words in 1858, the Confederate states officially seceded in 1860. This divided the nation in two and began a civil war that would last until May of 1865. Although the cause of the war was later twisted into looking like states’ rights, the actual cause of the Civil War was slavery.