Emancipation Proclamation

The book, The Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views by Harold Holzer, Edna Greene Medford, and Frank J. Williams, reviews the Emancipation Proclamation that came into effect on January 1st, 1863 from three perspectives. Harold Holzer views the proclamation through images, and posters created before and after it was issued, while Edna Greene Medford analysis the African American view of the it. Frank J. Williams looks at the Emancipation Proclamation from a legal standpoint. These three views contribute to the understanding of concepts covered in Chapter 15: The Civil War, in the Major Problems in American History, Volume 1: To 1877 involving positive and negative views of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the involvement

1) What is the Emancipation Proclamation? When is Baldwin’s letter written and what is the significance of the timing of his letter (specifically: what is the situation of African Americans at the time Baldwin wrote the letter?)

The American Civil War began in 1861. This war was fought over the preservation of the Union rather than the abolition of slavery. But in 1863, Lincoln changed the course of the war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln figured the Emancipation Proclamation was a strong military strategy, as well as the morally correct decision. The Emancipation Proclamation also changed the Civil War into a war fought over slavery rights. The American Civil War ended in 1865 with a clear Union victory.

Following the outbreak of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln believed that the Union could not survive whilst divided on the subject of slavery. Revered by numerous historians, Lincoln’s actions throughout the Civil War created social and political change that would bring the United States of America into a new era of social and cultural reform. In attempt to abolish slavery and weaken the Confederacy, the Emancipation Proclamation redefined the objectives of the Civil War. While successful in gradually abolishing the institution of slavery in the southern states, the Emancipation Proclamation failed to extinguish racial discriminations against the newly freed African-Americans. Indeed, progress had been made, but by using intimidation

On September 22, soon after the Union victory at Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in the defiant states shall be forever free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation did not free a single slave, or destroy the institution of slavery it was just an important turning point in the war, transforming the fight to sanctuary the nation into a battle for human freedom. It still only applied to states in active rebellion, not to the slave-holding border states or to rebel areas already under Union control. This document lifted the war, because it allowed the Union to recruit African American soldiers, nearly 180,00 of them end up enlisting during the

The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the biggest documents in the history of the United States and its effects lasted years after its implementation. On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln announced a preliminary version of the Emancipation Proclamation (Dudley 166). This preliminary version told the basis of President Lincoln’s plan; all slaves who were living in a seceded and rebelling area of the South would be declared “then, thenceforward, and forever free” as of January 1, 1863 (Dudley 167). Whether or not the document would truly make a change in the nation was something that was disputed among many during the time of its issuing. Frederick Douglass was a widely known runaway slave turned abolitionist, speaker, and writer who promoted

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order. I think it was very important for Lincoln to start off by identifying himself as the President of the United States before he begins to say anything else. Adding on to that fact he also states he is Commander in Chief to really stress upon that the Emancipation Proclamation was going to try restore the relations with the Union and the Confederate States. He try's to compensate with the Confederate and basically says 'I will not free the slaves from any state that will come back to the Union." But in this case none of them did. So he compensated emancipation for the slave owners willing to sell their slaves to the government.

Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation at a pivotal moment in the war; thus, marking the first significant movement that was widely recognized as the beginning of the end of slavery. In September of 1862, after the Battle at Antietam and the Union’s victory, President Lincoln cleverly issued a statement declaring that the rebellious states, Delaware, Kentucky Missouri, and Maryland, would have to return to the Union by January 1, 1863 or freedom would be granted to the slaves of those states. President Lincoln’s timing in delivering his preliminary proclamation guaranteed that the Emancipation Proclamation would positively influence the Union’s efforts. Not one of the four confederate states complied with President Lincoln’s terms.

“If my name ever goes in history, it will be for this act.” – Abraham Lincoln (Freedman, 67)

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

Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was a long and complicated process that it was issued more than once. On September 22, 1862 Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that as of January 1st, 1863, all slaves in the rebellious states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Despite that the Emancipation Proclamation did not free any slave, it was still an eye-opening and crucial part of history. It changed the focal point of the Civil War, and gave the people an aspiration and motive to get up everyday. It also changed the entire purpose of the Civil War to save the nation and transform the motive from preserving the Union into standing up for human rights and freedom. Overall, the Emancipation Proclamation ultimately changed the morals and the message of the purpose behind the Civil War.

The Emancipation Proclamation was not the first bill to deal with slavery. However, it definitely was the first legal measure to touch down right on the heart of the conflict between the North and the South. Before continuing in the treatment of Emancipation proclamation in this paper, it must be noted that the Emancipation Proclamation was not a work by the president to contribute for the incarnation of an anti-slavery belief he had due to many reasons. First, the fact that Abraham Lincoln had no intention to take the office or to engage in a war with the southern states standing on anti-slavery goals has been already clarified within this paper. Second, if Abraham Lincoln’s war goal was to free the slaves, it would

In the summer of 1862, President Lincoln disclosed that in order for the government and the military to advance and become more successful, the United State’s would have to establish Emancipation Proclamation (Foner 522) So on January 1863; Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation that granted the freedom of thousands of slaves. Although, many believe that the Emancipation Proclamation freed no slave. Partly, this is true because Emancipation was only put into use in the Confederate States. Hence, this is why only a certain percentage of African Americans were free. Lincoln also stated in Proclamation that African American’s were able to join the armed service of the United States. By the end of the war more than 200,000 African Americans have served in the Army and Navy (Foner

On January 1, 1863, sitting President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, a document decreeing the end of slavery throughout the United States of America. While symbolic at the time (the self-proclaimed and effectively sovereign Confederate States of America had no intention of recognizing a law issued by a political body with which it was currently at war, and whose authority it did not recognize) it was undebatably a momentous and powerful decision that would forever change the fabric of the American social and political paradigm. Insofar as it symbolically freed the African-American population from slavery, the document did little to improve the plight of the more than four million members of said population formerly held in bondage in the Southern United States in the times following the war. In fact, the end of legal slavery in these areas only led to continued and unofficial de facto bondage, sanctioned and enforced by local governments. In this way, it can be inferred that the plight of the African Americans in the South continued to in one form or another be more or less the same in the half-century following emancipation.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation, it captured the hearts and imagination of millions of Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war. After January 1, 1863, every advance of federal troops expanded the domain of freedom. Besides, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.