The Emancipation Proclamation And The Abolition Of Slavery

Before the Civil War, in 1862, Abraham Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation because he, himself, did not like the idea of slavery. He must do something about it, so abolishing it will be the best way to stop slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was written by Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, after the Battle of Antietam. Lincoln proposed this Proclamation on January 1, 1863. He wrote this document because of he, himself, hates slavery. Lincoln’s idea on this proclamation was similar to the Constitution, “all men are created equal”. Every man should be treated equally including the white men and the colored men. Lincoln states that all slaves rebelling states to be free but did not affect slavery in non rebelling border states.

When the Civil War began in 1861, the issue of slavery was not the central focus of the war effort on the side of the Union. While it was still important to many in the North, the main war aim of the Union side was to preserve the Union and make sure it remained intact. As the war dragged on and more soldiers died on both sides, Lincoln realized he would need to entirely cripple the already weak Confederate economy, and he did this by making the Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective January 1, 1863. This executive order stated that all slaves in states currently in open rebellion against the United States were free from slavery. By doing this, he caused African Americans in slave states to cross into Union territory and into

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

The Civil war was one of the bloodiest in human history up to that time. In September 1862, Lincoln issues his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, it was a military move, giving the south four months to stop rebelling, threatening to emancipate their slaves if they continued to fight, promising to leave slavery untouched in states that came over to the North. By the beginning of 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and it declared slaves free in those areas still fighting against the union. The more blacks that were free joined the war and

Slavery was a crucial issue on the Union 's diplomatic front with Britain. Lincoln realized that he could use emancipation as a weapon of war as the war was now primarily being fought over slavery. He also wanted to satisfy his own personal hope that everyone everywhere would eventually be free. So in June 1862, Congress passed a law prohibiting slavery in the territories. Lincoln issued the final form of his Emancipation Proclamation (Document F). It stated, “slaves within any State...shall be then, thencefoward, and forever free.” The proclamation had a powerful symbolic effect. It broadened the base of the war by turning it in to a fight for unity.

On January 1, 1863, the final order of the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, declaring the freedom of slaves in rebellious states. Obviously, this did not physically free anyone, but it was an effective military strategy during the Civil War on behalf of President Abraham Lincoln to help accomplish his most fundamental goal: to preserve the union. He knew that the occupation of slave labor was one of the greatest advantages of the Southern war effort, so being able to revoke as much of those reinforcements would be an aid for the Union, as did the rising enlistment of African American Union Soldiers. This secured Northern victory over the Confederacy for sure, and even though the abolition of slavery simply piggybacked on what was truly

“Beyond its propaganda value for the Union war effort, the proclamation did nothing, and was intended to do nothing” [Guelzo]. The Southern plantation owners weren’t going to release their slaves just because their former president, and their enemies, said so. It was up to the slaves to risk their lives and attempt to join with the union. But, enslaved people were doing this even before the emancipation proclamation, proving Lincoln's actions here to be practically unnecessary.

\The Emancipation Proclamation was created by Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves, but then what? Historian: Eric Foner’s The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery , Richard Striner’s Father Abraham: Lincoln’s Relentless Struggle To End Slavery , James Oakes essay Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865, James M. McPherson, Henry Louis Gates’s Lincoln on Race & Slavery, Lerone Bennett Jr. Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln’s White Dream,

Lincoln was forced to walk a thin line between racist conservatives and radical abolitionists. The Emancipation Proclamation, defended by Lincoln as “an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity,” helped prepare northerners for the eventuality of emancipation. Although it did not technically free any slaves at the time, it gave the war a moral purpose and laid to rest any possibility of foreign support for the Confederacy. It encouraged slaves to flee the South, subverting the southern war

While in office, President Abraham Lincoln led the country through the Civil War, he is most known as being responsible for the abolishing of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation, thus giving him the nickname of “The Great Emancipator.” Technically speaking, the Emancipation Declaration did not actually abolish slavery in itself, rather it led to the 13th Amendment, which did end slavery in January of 1865. At brief glance, the Emancipation Proclamation’s sole purpose appears to be a humanitarian effort towards the abolishment of slavery. However there were two factors to consider that can be contradictory; the first being that Lincoln wasn’t particularly fond of black people to start with; the second, is the military advantage that would present itself if the succeeded states lost ownership of their slaves.

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 September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, issued the first, or preliminary, Emancipation Proclamation. In this document he warned that unless the states of the Confederacy returned to the Union by January 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be “forever free.” During the Civil War, he was fighting to save the Union and trying not to free the slaves. Lincoln was quoted to say, “I am not, nor have ever been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.” The Emancipation Proclamation illustrated this view.

In conclusion the disintegration of slavery was one among several considerations that led President Lincoln, on January 1, 1863, to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Lack of military success, pressure from anti slavery Northerners, the need to forestall British recognition of the Confederacy, and the desire to tap Southern black manpower for the Union army also contributed to the decision. The Proclamation, which applied only to areas outside Union control, did not immediately abolish slavery. But it made emancipation an irrevocable war aim, profoundly changing the character of the Civil

Lincoln thought freeing slaves would help him reach his goals to save the Union. Therefor, this led to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Although, the Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in the Confederate States in America, it was the first step in the final Emancipation of all slaves. It helped the cause of the Civil War, and was close to end slavery permanently. It was the third year into the Civil War, once the form was signed, the number of group soldiers for the Civil War and navy increased. This was because what Lincoln hoped would happen did happen. Although, the liberation of slaves allowed many slaves to volunteer and to fight in the Civil War. At that point the Civil War became a war for freedom. The result of the War was positive. The Union was saved but also the War helped free slaves.

President Abraham Lincoln did not initially plan to free the slaves in rebelling southern states. The Congress passed Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862 that paid the slave owners to release their slaves. After two years of war, President Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in rebelling Southern states. He was concerned that freeing all slaved would alienate border states. Because so many border states had slaves, Lincoln wanted to use a gradual compensated, and most importantly voluntary emancipation. The Emancipation Proclamation did not bring an effective end to slavery, but it did initiate the process and established a way for minorities to attain equality.