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ABRAHAM LINCOLN EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION This Emancipation Proclamation is a copy from the original five-page document which is stored in the National Archives Building in Washington. It was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war between the north (the Union) and the south (the Confederacy). It is a legal and political text addressed to all the American people but mainly to the people in the Southern states (the Confederacy not under the Union control) of the United States of America. It also reached Europe. The preliminary Proclamation was signed on the 22nd of September 1862, when the Confederacy did not …show more content…
He then continues by declaring that all slaves from the Southern States which he mentions in the text are from now on free, ordering that the navy and army along with the Government of the United States ensure that it is carried out. He then addresses the former slaves to abstain from violence, unless it´s needed for self-defence and he asks them to work faithfully in return for wages, he also makes known that any man of a suitable age and condition will be more than welcome to enlist in the Union Army. He then finishes the text invoking both “the considerate judgment of mankind” and “the gracious favour of Almighty God” as would be expected following the conventions of the time, however it did not apply to nearly the 500,000 slaves in Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland or Delaware which were Union states. The President knew that only congress could remove slavery permanently, but he had the satisfaction of seeing it come true before his early death, becoming the first American President to be assassinated on April the 14th 1865. On January the 31st of 1865 slavery was abolished completely when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was passed by the House of Representatives. Another two Amendments were passed to ensure no more discrimination against former slaves the first one was the 14th Amendment, it gave citizenship to people born or naturalized in the United States and …show more content…
Entering an era of mechanization and large scale production by the second half of the nineteenth century due to the expansion of railroads, mining, factories etc. Nonetheless the fight for black civil rights had only just started and with the 1960´s Civil Rights Movement the legacy of the Proclamation was followed strongly by Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr who made many references to the text in his addresses, even Kennedy during an appearance on national television addressing the issue of civil rights made mention to Lincoln´s Emancipation Proclamation. In my opinion the Emancipation added moral force to the Union´s cause as well as strengthening it both militarily and politically. As a milestone along the path to end slavery once and for all. I believe that the Emancipation Proclamation has assumed a place among the great documents of human freedom, and all thanks to a President that when the push came to a shove stood his ground and made the right decision to free slaves, opening up a whole new world for them, although it had not been his first intention. I believe that the outcome is what counts in the
Abraham Lincoln is known as the President who helped to free the slaves, lead the Union to victory over the confederates in the American Civil War, preserve the union of the United States and modernize the economy. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued through Presidential constitutional authority on January 1st, 1863, declared that all slaves in the ten remaining slave states were to be liberated and remain liberated. The Emancipation Proclamation freed between three and four million slaves, however, since it was a Presidential constitutional authority and not though congress, the Emancipation Proclamation failed to free slaves in Border States like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri. Essentially, states that were under Federal Government and loyal to the Union did not have their slaves liberated; Lincoln even stating “When it took effect in January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation freed 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves.” Some argue Lincoln issued this Proclamation in an attempt to satisfy the demands of Radical Republicans, members of a group within the Republican Party. Radical Republicans were a group of politicians who strongly...
By the time of his speech South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas had already seceded from the Union. In his speech Lincoln had three main points: “to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government,” secession was impossible because the Union was unbreakable, and that any use of arms against the United States would be met with force but he would never be first to attack (Grafton 80). Lincoln aspired to increase his support in the North without alienating the South where most disliked him in fear of the end of slavery. In his speech however, Lincoln made it clear that his intention was not to interfere with slavery quoting “I have no purpose, directly, or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so” (Grafton 81). In hope to make amends with the South Lincoln closed by saying “We are not enemies, but friends. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature” (Grafton 81). Although meant to unify the North and South, this address had a larger impact on another
Abraham Lincoln’s original views on slavery were formed through the way he was raised and the American customs of the period. Throughout Lincoln’s influential years, slavery was a recognized and a legal institution in the United States of America. Even though Lincoln began his career by declaring that he was “anti-slavery,” he was not likely to agree to instant emancipation. However, although Lincoln did not begin as a radical anti-slavery Republican, he eventually issued his Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves and in his last speech, even recommended extending voting to blacks. Although Lincoln’s feeling about blacks and slavery was quite constant over time, the evidence found between his debate with Stephen A. Douglas and his Gettysburg Address, proves that his political position and actions towards slavery have changed profoundly.
.All persons held as slaves within said designated states, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free.” (Lincoln 1862). In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed which abolished slavery (Thirteenth Amendment 1865). After the Civil War there was a problem of how freed people would survive.
The use of statistics and facts are not needed to provide a stronger argument. While not directly stated in the text, it can be inferred that President Lincoln had logical reasoning in “The Emancipation Proclamation”. It can be argued that President Lincoln could infer through logical reasoning that slaves might actively sabotage the Southern war effort after the announcement of “The Emancipation Proclamation”. He could also reason that the end of slavery would weaken the South’s fragile economy by withholding their labor. In fact, thousands of slaves had already escaped to sanctuary in Union territory to places like Fort Monroe in Virginia. These refugees aided the war effort by providing information on Confederate movements and supply lines, but they were not yet eligible for protection under the law (History.com). Instead, they were classified as contraband, enemy property subject to seizure. Emancipation would offer them civil rights. Lincoln also hoped emancipation of Southern slaves would persuade African Americans in the Northern states to enlist in the Union Army. Finally, an abolitionist course might dissuade Britain and France from lending military support to Confederate States (History.com). Both nations had ended slavery in their own countries but retained economic interests in Southern goods and plantation crops. So overall, emancipation seemed not only the
Abraham Lincoln was elected as sixteenth president of the United States of America in 1861 and served until his assassination in 1865. He is viewed as a popular political figure and is known as the “Great Emancipator” for his role in freeing the slaves during the 1860s (Columbia University Press 2013, 1). He delivered the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 that declared “all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforth shall remain free” (Columbia University Press 2013, 1). Although the Proclamation made Lincoln seem like a hero, others would soon realize that the proclamation was a war tactic and in reality did not put an end to slavery. In The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas J. DiLorenzo, the reader will discover facts about President Lincoln that are not told in the average history book. Within the chapters of DiLorenzo’s book, he explains Lincoln’s true view on slavery, reasons for his political success, and why Lincoln encouraged war between the North and the South.
Lincoln, Abraham. The Emancipation Proclamation. U.S. National Archives & Records Administaration. Web. 05 Dec. 2009.
Reading Lincoln’s first Inaugural Address, one wouldn’t think he would be the president to end slavery.Speaking on outlawing slavery, he says,“I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” At the time, Lincoln wasn’t worried about slavery,
Lincoln declared that “all persons held as slaves” in areas in rebellion “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Not only liberate slaves in the border slave states, but the President has purposely made the proclamation in all places in the South where the slaves were existed. While the Emancipation Proclamation was an important turning point in the war. It transformed the fight to preserve the nation into a battle for human freedom. According the history book “A People and a Nation”, the Emancipation Proclamation was legally an ambiguous document, but as a moral and political document it had great meaning. It was a delicate balancing act because it defined the war as a war against slavery, not the war from northern and southern people, and at the same time, it protected Lincoln’s position with conservatives, and there was no turning
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 during the civil war, as main goal to win the war. Some historians argued that it was based on feelings towards slaves because not only it freed slaves in the South; it was also a huge step for the real abolition of slavery in the United States. While other historians argued that it was a military tactic because it strengthened the Union army, because the emancipated slaves were joining the Union thus providing a larger manpower than the Confederacy . The Emancipation Proclamation emancipated slaves only in the Confederacy and did not apply to the Border-states and the Union states.
In a speech that Lincoln gave prior to his presidency, we can see how ambiguous his stance on slavery truly was. This speech, known as the ‘House Divided’ speech, was given on the 16th of June, 1858, and outlined his beliefs regarding secession, but did not solidify the abolition of slavery as his main goal. Lincoln states that the nation “could not endure, permanently half slave and half free,” and that the slavery will either cease to exist, or will encompass all states lawfully (Lincoln). At this point in his life, Lincoln’s primary concern is clearly with the preservation of the nation.
Lincoln had a preliminary proclamation back in September 22, 1862. The reason President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation was because, "slaves in Confederate states which were not back in the union by then would be free, but slaves in the border states were not affected. The president knew the proclamation was a temporary military measure and only congress could remove slave permanently, but had the satisfaction of seeing the 13th Amendment pass a few months before his death." In other words Lincoln wanted to give slave states their rights of freedom, but the slaves along the border wouldn 't get that right of freedom because of where they were located and who they were for. He hoped the 13th amendment would back up his plan of the emancipation proclamation. President Lincolns philosophy left such a great remark on the people of the world. It was said by many different journalists of the civil war that Lincoln was, " a man of profound feeling, just and firm principles, and incorruptible
industrialization. It is hard to factor all of those periods into once period such as the 1800’s as a whole.
When the Civil War was approaching its third year, United States President Abraham Lincoln was able to make the slaves that were in Confederate states that were still in rebellion against the Union forever free. Document A states that on January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and that every enslaved person residing in the states that were “In rebellion against the United States” were free and that the Executive Government of the United States and that the military and naval authority were to recognize them and could not act against them at all. Although the Proclamation did not free every slave in the Confederacy, it was able to release about 3.5 million slaves. Along with freeing all of those slaves, it also stated that African American men were allowed to enlist with the Union and aid them in the war.
The Union army started with 2,128,949 men while the Confederates started with 1,082, 119. The casualties at the end of the war totaled to 620,000 deaths. The Emancipation Proclamation was ratified in January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. The purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation was to turn the purpose of the war from fighting to preserve the Union to fighting for human freedom. It helped win the war because the free slaves and free blacks were allowed to be recruited in the Union army, and it stopped the South from using the slaves as laborers in the field to support the Confederate army. The Emancipation Proclamation was meant to free slaves in the states that were rebelling. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed only a few slaves, it led to the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in the Constitution, the abolishment of slavery in all of the United States of America. The purpose of Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was to free the slaves, unify the United States again, and break the economic foundation of the