Why Did Lincoln Choose To Act The Way He Did?

Alternative 1: Why Lincoln chose to act the way he did :
In 1861, the Civil war began, and Lincoln was freshly elected into office. He proclaimed that war was not about slavery but restoring the Union (Kennicott,2013). Lincoln felt very strongly about abolishing slavery and gaining freedom for the African Americans. He once stated ” I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong, I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel” (Holzer, 2016). Lincoln wanted to wait until he gained respect and popularity from the nation before he would propose the anti-slavery proclamation. Lincoln chose this move carefully and strategically. If he played his cards correctly, he could gain support from the American people. If Lincoln would have proposed this right

away, it may have have risked him losing trust, respect, and possibly gain hatred from the Country.

The Emancipation Proclamation was a presidential order, not a law passed by congress and could not be bypassed by congress. If Lincoln would have chosen to have it go through the legislature, it might not have been passed. It was issued on January 1, 1863 and set freedom for more than 3 million black slaves in the United States. It shifted the direction of Civil War as a fight to ban slavery (Kennicott,2013). This would set those 3 million slaves free within 100 days after this was issued. This Proclamation did not pertain to border states who had slaves but were loyal to the Union (Kennicott,2013.). Part of the decision for Lincoln to wait before making this judgment, was due to the fact that he was advised by his cabinet members to hold off until there was a Union victory. After the Union victory of the Battle of Antietam, that is when the proclamation was announced. This proved to the Country that he was making wise decisions and that he could be trusted and admired as president.

This proclamation only applied to the 10 confederate states that were in rebellion in 1863, there were still 500,000 slaves in the border states that had not joined the confederacy. Lincoln attempted to move Border State citizens' views toward emancipation and restrain abolitionists and Radical Republicans who pressured him to move at a faster rate (Burlingame, M., Striner, R., University of Maryland, Washington College, & Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission , n.d). Preserving the Union was crucial if the goal of emancipation was to be a success (Burlingame, M., Striner, R., University of Maryland, Washington College, & Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission , n.d) . Lincoln felt that emancipation without saving the Union would have been a pointless gesture (Burlingame, M., Striner, R., University of Maryland, Washington College, & Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission , n.d).

Lincoln realized that African Americans had been recognized by the value of their labor (Holzer,2006) and knew the chaos his new order might make. He stated that “There is no reason at all why the negro after all is not entitled to all that the Declaration of Independence holds out , which is life , liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Holzer,2006). The Republicans viewed slavery as being wrong, they viewed it as a social, moral, and political wrong- doing, and wanted it out of the States (Holzer, 2006). The Democrats were angered by Lincoln’s actions and figured that the Emancipation was just a temporary action (Lincoln s proclamation: Emancipation reconsidered, 2012). They did not want to end slavery, and if the decision would have been in their favor, millions of slaves may have remained enslaved for years after the war (Lincoln s proclamation: Emancipation reconsidered, 2012).

There have been some debates on Lincoln’s real motives behind his moves against slavery. He stated many times that he thought it was wrong, but in 1862 he answered a letter from a newspaper writer saying that every decision he made was to save the Union and that he was not doing it to end slavery (Lincoln s proclamation: Emancipation reconsidered, 2012) . Many people viewed Lincoln’s motives differently. Some people thought that Lincoln was doing it more for the Union, while others thought he was just a moderate controlling abolition. The third view was that Lincoln was a radical who wanted to enlist African Americans as soldiers which would eventually free them (Lincoln s proclamation: Emancipation reconsidered, 2012). Some also believe that Lincoln seemed "cold" and "indifferent" about slavery, and the emancipation proclamation was a strategic move to help the military (Kennicott,2013)

Lincoln made the decision to have two parts regarding the acts of congress in the Proclamation, stating that; “1). Military was prohibited from returning fugitive slaves, and 2). Authorizing the seizure of confiscation of the slaves of anyone “engaged in rebellion” of the United states and that they shall be forever and no escaped slave shall be delivered up ” (Masur, 2014). He also claimed that the loyal citizens who were slave owners would be given compensation (Masur, 2014). This was a well structured agreement from Lincoln,and ensured all slaves that this agreement would give them their freedom. Lincoln promised the slave owners compensation, and it made it more of a compromise from Lincoln. If Lincoln did not promise to compensate anything, the slave owners may have rebelled in a more violent manner.