Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation

In: Historical Events

Submitted By jorti061
Words 965
Pages 4
President Abraham Lincoln’s start to a long road to success in an attempt to abolish slavery in the US. In January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War, the president issued orders to parts of the executive branch to include Army and the Navy start freeing slaves in the ten states that were part of the rebellion (roughly 3 million slaves in the U.S at the time). During this time the order from the president to free the slaves was based on the president’s constitution authority in chief of the armed forces in other words the law was not passed by Congress. In this document the president laid out the orders that slave owners needed to take now that it was put into law, ie; now slave owners would receive monetary compensation from the state to free their slaves. This idea to free all slaves did take some time to accomplished, first President Lincoln had to convince members of Congress and also he needed to convince himself that what he was about to do was in fact the right decision. Lincoln had no doubt about the wisdom and justice of the emancipation itself. He speculated that proclaiming emancipation might reinvigorate northern support for the war, help forestall European recognition of the Confederacy, and further undermine the rebellion by attracting more slaves to Union lines. But he was not sure that proclaiming emancipation in the unoccupied areas of the Confederacy would free all that many slaves. And yet, on January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The document was not a lengthy one, it contained about seven hundred words, making it more straight forward to understand if the people had knowledge of his previous preliminary proclamation. The readers were reminded of Lincoln’s promise to emancipate all slaves in areas still in rebellion, he also promised to deploy Union armed forces to maintain the freedom of such persons. Neither the army

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation

...On January 1, 1862 the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all slaves in the United States. The Proclamation only applied to slaves that were in the south and not occupied by federal military forces. The slaves in the South were freed so that they could join the army. The Border States including Missouri, Maryland, Delaware, and Kentucky were not included in the Emancipation Proclamation. The Civil War was not a war to end slavery it was a war to get the South to join the Union once again. “That aim remained the restoration of the Union, but the Emancipation Proclamation meant that it would be a transformed Union, one without slavery” (Crowther, Edward R.”Emancipation Proclamation”.14 Mar.2012) Many believe that even if the Emancipation was not signed that slavery would of come to an end. But the question is was the Emancipation Proclamation needed to win the Civil war? The Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in states rebelling against the Union, but the slaves in the Union and Border States were not at all affected by the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was a war strategy that Lincoln hoped would help him win the war. As Lincoln stated many times, he was not trying to abolish slavery in the beginning of the war but he would do anything to put the country back together with or without slavery. The Emancipations Proclamation did not actually free any slaves but it freed slaves for...

Words: 1439 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Essay

...Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of September 22,1862, which declared slaves “forever free”, is the supreme moral moment of American history” (Wicker Pg. 1) Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was both a strategically smart move and a massive ethical victory to every slave in the U.S. Another effect was that it turned the war into a Northern crusade against slavery, and made the South seem like villains in comparison. It freed the slaves from their servitude, and gave the union a moral high ground to fight from. The Union would later win the war, but what would have happened if Lincoln had never given his groundbreaking speech? Although Lincoln did not believe in equality between the races, he would give the speech that...

Words: 907 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

...As the nation came close to approaching it's third year of civil war, president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Shortly after conquering the battle of antietam, the war for the union became a war for freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation was finite in many ways, as it concerned only states that had seceded from the Union, but it managed to liberate the lives of four million slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately end slavery, but it inspired the hearts of several Americans and instilled a hope for change. To the surprise of many, the Proclamation established the admittance of African American men into the Union army. African Americans in the North welcomed the added righteousness...

Words: 351 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

History Of The Emancipation Proclamation

...When you think of the Emancipation Proclamation, what do you think of? How it was issued? Who issued it? I’ve recently thought of all of those questions and I’m here to talk all about it. First off, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and written by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. This new law, to Abraham, was thought to succeed in abolishing slavery for good after the great Civil War. Even though all states were meant to abide by this law, not all of them did unfortunately. Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, as well as Delaware, were the few states that didn’t accept this newly found law, therefore they recaptured African Americans who had succeeded in escaping but didn’t make it to any camps that were located in the North and either returned them to their “rightful place” or made profits off of them by selling them once again back into slavery. For Nobles, To Nobles, By Nobles....

Words: 474 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

...The emancipation proclamation was a big victory in a sense of opposing slavery. Emancipation meant that a certain group was going be set free from legal, social, or political restrictions, which in this time was all African Americans. The emancipation proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863 by the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The document was issued as the United States approached its third year in its Civil war and it declared “That all person held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free.” The emancipation proclamation changed the federal legal status of more than 3 million enslaved persons to being free in the pro-slavery areas. The confederates were furious as they heard the news...

Words: 353 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

...The Emancipation Proclamation was told by Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation stated “that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free.” The Emancipation Proclamation was only for the states that broke away from the Union. It did not apply to the border states. It also didn’t apply to the parts of the Confederacy that went under Northern control. The North started using black soldiers in many ways. Black people were carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters which played a big part in the war. Black soldiers were also firemen, stewards, and coal heavers since 1861. Black soldiers were excited to be in the Army. They felt that they were equal...

Words: 339 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Importance Of The Emancipation Proclamation

...Emancipation Proclamation “When the American Civil War (1861-65) began, President Abraham Lincoln carefully framed the conflict as concerning the preservation of the Union rather than the abolition of slavery” (“Emancipation Proclamation”). President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation and took effect on January 1st, 1863 in order to create a strategic military standpoint (“Emancipation Proclamation”). This document was one of Abraham Lincoln’s most important decisions in office. The Emancipation Proclamation was effective during the Civil War because African Americans could now join the Union military, it boosted Union military morale, and persuaded Britain and France to stay out of the war. Firstly, “The U.S. Army had never accepted black soldiers. The U.S. Navy, on the other hand, was more progressive: There, African-Americans had been serving as shipboard firemen, stewards, coal heavers and even boat pilots since 1861” (“Black Civil War Soldiers”). Abolitionist stated that, African Americans could join the Union military and help win the war along with...

Words: 460 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

...The Department of State preserved this document with other proclamations in a large volume for many years. The volume containing the Emancipation Proclamation was transmitted in 1936 to the National Archives of the United States from the departement of States². From a legal point of view , the Emancipation Proclamation was a brilliant move because the president is not favoured by the constitution or even give civil liberties to a specific people. Yet, the U.S. president has the right in wartime to defend his people and gives a total protection of the social securtiy of the country. The Emancipation Proclamation was not approved by the congress or even voted , Abraham Lincoln made it under his power as a commander in chief. This was similar...

Words: 281 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Research Paper

...Emancipation Proclamation War Lincoln was able to have a strong effect on the outcome of the civil war by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. By issuing the proclamation Lincoln gave African American southerners hope, increasing the Northern advantage. Lincoln also successfully increased the number of troops at his disposal by allowing African Americans to fight for the Union. Lincoln also appeased northern citizens with the Emancipation Proclamation, gaining support for the war. The Emancipation Proclamation was a war strategy to turn the tide of the war in the union’s favor. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln gave African Americans hope for freedom which helped sway the war’s outcome. “Slaves within said designated states and parts of states are, henceforward; shall be free.”...

Words: 532 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Importance Of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

...Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most revered documents in United States history. In its time, the document effectively freed the slaves but also marked the first step in creating an America with racial equality. Therefore, because of its significance in shaping the ideals of the United States, many people assume that future leaders of the nation would view the Emancipation Proclamation in the same way. However, in looking at speeches made by Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama during some of the most notable time periods in United States history, it becomes evident that presidents did not approach Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in the same way. Instead, circumstances surrounding each particular administration...

Words: 1116 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The 13th Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation

...------------------------------------------------- The 13th Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation As president, Abraham Lincoln needed to spare the country from aggregate division. He expected to spare the union, and in the meantime, fulfill the states' requirements and requests. With either side declining to move, the verging on urgent Lincoln had no other decision than to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. In spite of the fact that it didn't produce into results promptly, it did empower the slaves' flexibility and energized the selection of blacks into the Northern armed force. It was the thirteenth Amendment, then again, that did free the slaves. As ahead of schedule as 1849, Abraham Lincoln trusted that slaves ought to be liberated, upholding a project in which they would be liberated slowly. At a very early stage in his administration, still persuaded that slow liberation was the best course, he attempted to win over officials. To pick up bolster, he suggested that slave proprietors be made up for surrendering their property (slaves).This was not a favored thought. In the early piece of the Civil War, President Lincoln avoided issuing a bill liberating the slaves regardless of the unyielding urgings of abolitionists. Trusting that the war was being battled singularly to safeguard the Union, he tried to abstain from irritating the slaveholding Border States that had remained. “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could...

Words: 559 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Research Paper

...The Emancipation Proclamation was a document created by president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln issued it on January 1st 1863 after the North won the battle of Antietam. The proclamation freed the slaves living in the rebellion states, but this did not apply to the border states. The also gave African Americans a chance to fight in the American civil war. President Lincoln used the Emancipation proclamation as a war strategy against the south to win the war. Lincoln believed “... African Americans turned the tide of the war.” (T. Legion) Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation this turned the war to a fight against slavery. When he issued the Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln recruited African Americans to join the union army....

Words: 380 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Summary Of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

...Lincoln was dissuaded by his cabinet of releasing the preliminary Proclamation, as the Union did not have a military victory in the war yet. George B. McClellan’s victory at Antietam Creek provided an appropriate occasion to declare emancipation a goal. The preliminary Proclamation stated that if the rebellion did not cease by January 1, 1863, the executive branch would take the necessary steps to destroy slavery in the South (Oates 382). It angered many Northern Democrats and led to significant Republican losses in the congressional election of 1862, though they retained control of Congress. On New Year’s Day, 1863, Lincoln slowly and deliberately signed the final Emancipation Proclamation. The final proclamation proclaimed that the loyal...

Words: 253 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation Vs. The Abolishment Of Slavery

...The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by former president Abraham Lincoln. This idea was used in significant ways. Lincoln yearned to preserve the Union rather than the abolishment of slavery. Slavery remained an enormous issue leading up to the war. The North remained illegal, while the South supported slavery to be legal. Lincoln’s personal belief disagreed with the idea of slavery. Lincoln was aware he was unable to rush the emancipation. The reason being that the bordering states would become unhappy. Those states were Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. The succession of these states would weaken the country in a matter of time. As noted by Shultz (2010), “Five days after the Battle of Antietam, on September 22 ,1862, Lincoln made his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves within rebel territory would be freed on January 1, 1863, unless the southern states returned to the Union.” (page 264-5) The idea of the Emancipation was to weaken the confederacy and would not allow slaves to be free even if they were a part of the Union....

Words: 305 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Emancipation Proclamation: A Significant Political Phenomenon

...Emancipation Proclamation Emancipation was a significant political phenomenon. Many nations had freed the slaves before in the 1800's notwithstanding going into the 1830's for the British slaves. This may have brought on a fear on the parts of the proslavery individuals. As a result of this, the slave proprietors in the south needed a prohibition on slaves coming from the West Indies and different spots where slaves were being freed. The Emancipation Proclamation did not come simple to President Lincoln. The President assumed control two years to come to the choice that there was even a requirement for such a document. In that time there was pressure coming from both sides of the issue at President Lincoln. Some may be surprised that Abraham Lincoln composed the Emancipation Proclamation in light of his non-activity on the slavery issue. President Lincoln felt pressure for emancipation from a couple of boulevards. Right on time in 1861, Senator Lyman Trumbull, from Illinois, carried pressure with the presentation of the Confiscation Act. Trumbull expressed, contrabands would never again be slaves if and just on the off chance that they had been utilized by the Confederate armed administrations. Congress felt that the slaves could be utilized as an apparatus against the...

Words: 539 - Pages: 3