The Emancipation Proclamation And Its Consequences

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the rebelling territories of the confederacy and authorizing Black enlistment in the Union Army. Since the beginning of the Civil War, free Black people in general, , were ready to fight on behalf of the Union, yet they were prevented from doing so. Popular racial stereotypes and discrimination against Blacks in the military contributed to the prevailing myth that Black men did not have the intelligence and bravery necessary to serve their country. By the fall of 1862, however, the lack of White Union enlistment and confederate victories at Antietem forced the U.S. government to reconsider its racist policy. As Congress met in

When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, it was used as a tactical move against the south to stop them from rebelling or their slaves would be emancipated. It was an effort to end the war rather than having it continue, northern states set out to fight the slave states in 1861, not to end slavery, but retain the enormous national territory, market, and resources because it was an economic expansion for free land, free labor, free market, a high protective tariff for manufacturers, and a bank of the United States. The northern states wouldn’t accept the end of slavery, it would end slavery under conditions controlled by whites and only when required by political and economic needs. When Lincoln was elected, eleven southern

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

During the Civil War President Lincoln announced freeing all enslaved people in the confederate state. As this happened about 4 million people were freed and guaranteed to be treated like whites were treated. The Emancipation Proclamation didn't free any slaves in the Union states, but it was a good step to abolish slavery. Lincoln hoped that the he could win the Union side. He also hoped it would weaken the Confederacy's effort in the war. The Proclamation announced that black men can fight as a soldier in the war. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.

The Emancipation Proclamation was also the beginning of equal rights no matter the race. One of the immediate effects of this is that African American Soldiers were able to start fighting in the war. In the beginning of the war, African Americans were turned away from fighting because the other soldiers stated that this was a “White Man's War.” After the Emancipation Proclamation, however, the African Americans were able to join the army because Lincoln stated “ that such persons (African American) of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States. ” The Emancipation Proclamation also states "they labor faithfully for reasonable wages. " This shows that the recently freed slaves needed to be paid fairly

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.

History textbooks will tell students that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. “By pronouncing slavery a moral evil that must come to an end and then winning the presidency in 1860, by refusing to compromise on the issue of slavery’s expansion.” (Document 1). When Lincoln declared all enslaved people free from their captures, the South already succeeded and formed the Confederacy, which means that he did not have jurisdiction to declare laws for that area. ‘“Lincoln ‘freed’ slaves in Confederate areas where he had no power and left them in slavery in Border States and Union-controlled Southern areas where he had the power.

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 Proclamation only freed slaves in the South that were actively rebelling against the nation; it had nothing to do with slavery in the North. Throughout the duration of the war, slavery was still very much alive and lasted until many years after the war ended. Even though President Lincoln disagreed with slavery and thought it was wrong, he never really had any interest in abolishing slavery throughout the nation. The Proclamation freed slaves in the South, except there was only one problem; they were already at war with the South. The Confederacy didn’t honor President Lincoln’s orders to free the slaves. On paper they were free, but in the minds of those fighting to preserve their right to own slaves, they were still property (Hale 2016). Most abolitionists weren’t necessarily satisfied with the terms of the Proclamation as a document because it didn’t free them to level of freedom they supported. They knew that the Proclamation wouldn’t be complied with because there were still slaves in the states. Why would the south comply (Hale 2016)? The document did, however, provide somewhat of a refuge for those slaves who could retreat to Union lines of battle (“Emancipation Proclamation”). The proclamation did “help” free slaves because it protected those who could get to the Union’s side of the battlefield without being forced to be returned. Slaves in

Actually, the proclamation freed no slaves. It applied only to Confederate territory, where federal officers could not enforce it. The proclamation did not affect slavery in the loyal Border States. Lincoln repeatedly urged those states to free their slaves, and to pay the owners for their loss. He promised financial help from the federal government for this purpose. The failure of the states to follow his advice was one of his great disappointments.

On July 21st, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to the Congressmen from the border states, warning them of his upcoming Emancipation Proclamation. In it he stated, "I do not speak of emancipation at once, but of a decision at once to emancipate gradually.” President Lincoln then issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in states or portions of states that still supported slavery. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.

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)

The abolishment of slavery is one that Abraham Lincoln is all to familiar with. From the time the man first walked into office he was hounded by people wanting to end the ‘people of service and labor.’ That description is one Lincoln wrote about in his Emancipation Proclamation, instead of saying, ‘blacks’ or ‘slaves’. When Lincoln took office, his main goal was to reunite the Union. He wanted to make sure that no matter what he did, that no part would secede from the Union. There was warfare, there was struggle, and there were unhappy people but the Emancipation Proclamation made its way to the Union on January 1, 1863.

Juneteenth is the most seasoned known festival honoring the consummation of slavery in the United States. Shifting behind to 1865, it was on June nineteenth that the Union soldiers got to Texas with the news that the war had finished and that the oppressed were currently free. Note this was more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation - which had turned out to be legitimate January 1, 1863. ‘‘The Emancipation Proclamation had little effect on the Texans because of the negligible number of Union troops to uphold the new Executive Order.’’ Nevertheless, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the landing of General Granger's regiment, the powers were at long last sufficiently solid to impact and defeat the resistance.

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?