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The Emancipation Proclamation:
The First Stand to Slavery
Kaitlyn Fischer
Junior Division
Historical Paper
2480 Words
The Emancipation Proclamation was a crucial event in American history. Not only
did the Emancipation Proclamation take a stand against the South, it also changed the
main goal of the Civil War. When President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation it
abolished slavery in all rebelling states, making the Union’s military more powerful
because previous slaves joined the Union’s military. The Emancipation Proclamation
ultimately helped the Union win the Civil War and be able to pass the Thirteenth
Amendment, making all slaves constitutionally free.
Historical Context - The Union’s Crisis
When the spring of 1862 came, the Civil War had been going on for about a year.
At this point the Union thought that they would have already won the war, and the
Confederate States of America would have vanished. The Union had the numbers to
win and a greater industrial capacity, so they assumed the war was in the bag.1 They
were wrong. The Confederacy and their adored General Robert E. Lee were winning
this war, and everyone knew it.2 The North needed a change, something to weaken the
South and strengthen them. This change was the Emancipation Proclamation.
“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can
not remember when I did not so think, and feel.”​ 3 (Abraham Lincoln, March,
1864).
1
A&E Television Networks, "Emancipation Proclamation," History.com, last modified 2017, accessed January 8,
2017, http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation.
2
​"Civil War Timeline / Chronology for 1862," Georgia's Blue and Grey Trail, accessed January 9, 2017,
http://blueandgraytrail.com/year/1862.
3
​Roger J. Norton, "Abraham Lincoln Quotes about Slavery," Abraham Lincoln Research Site, last modified 2017,
accessed January 8, 2017, http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln95.html.
1
Lincoln’s Tremendous Decision: The Emancipation Proclamation
In May, Lincoln decided that the Union needed a big momentum changer,
something that would demolish the Confederacy. He knew that the slaves in the South
were upkeeping the plantations and allowing the men in the family to fight in the war4
(see Appendix A). He knew that if he took the slaves away it would damage the
Confederacy. Lincoln also thought that maybe if he could free the slaves, he could
manage to get them to fight for the Union army, which at this point was struggling.
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not
either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any
slave I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others
alone, I would also do that.” 5 (Abraham Lincoln, August, 1862).
The decision of writing the Emancipation Proclamation was very difficult for
Lincoln. In our president’s mind there were many positive and negatives in writing the
Emancipation Proclamation.6 Something that stood out more than anything was if the
slaves did get freedom, they could make the Union military stronger by becoming
soldiers.7 This also would make the Confederacy weaker because they would no longer
have their slaves to fall back on. However, Lincoln wasn’t confident that the North’s
​Harold M. Hymann, ed., ​Lincoln's Decision for Emancipation​ (Philadelphia, New York, and Toronto: J.B. Lippincott
Company, n.d.), ​[Page 6]​.
5
​Richey, "The Emancipation," audio file.
6
​A&E Television Networks, "Emancipation Proclamation," History.com.
7
​Hymann, ​Lincoln's Decision​, ​[Page 7]​.
4
2
soldiers would fight for African-American’s independence.8 In other words, Lincoln knew
that they would fight to save the Union, but he was not completely sure if the soldiers
would fight for a different race.9 There was also the continuous problem that some
people wanted slavery abolished, and others did not. Even though most citizens in the
northern states wanted slavery to end, not all did.10
Another concern with the Emancipation Proclamation was the border states.
Throughout the war Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia, which
was western territory of Virginia, had slaves, but stayed loyal to the Union.11 This was
mainly because the border states were fighting for the United States to become one
again, and not for slavery. The border states were a big weapon for the Union: they
gave the North more territory, supplied more weapons, and most of all they had people
willing to fight.12 If the Union lost the border states, it would be all downhill from there.13
Lincoln decided it was time to make his move and write the Emancipation
Proclamation. Almost everyday he would visit the telegraph room of the War
Department.14 When he was there not only did he get the progress of the war, but he
also started writing the Emancipation Proclamation. During day in June, 1862, Lincoln
asked Thomas T. Eckert, who was in charge of the Telegraph office, if he could get him
some paper to write ‘something special’.15 He had also asked Eckert if he could read
8
​A&E Television Networks, "Emancipation Proclamation," History.com.
​National Geographic, "The Emancipation Strategy," audio file, 2:28, 2016,
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/the-emancipation-strategy/.
10
​Hymann, ​Lincoln's Decision​, ​[Page 7]​.
11
​James Oakes, ​Freedom National​ (New York and London: W.W. North & Company, n.d.), ​[Page 145]​.
12
​Oakes, ​Freedom National​, ​[Page 147]​.
13
​Vincent Lowery, interview by the author, Green Bay, WI, November 28, 2016.
14
​John Hope Franklin, ​The Emancipation Proclamation​ (Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1963), ​[Page 35]​.
15
​Franklin, ​The Emancipation​, ​[Page 35]​.
9
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over what he had written and revise it. Eckert also made a promise that he would keep
what he was writing a secret.16 Over the next few weeks Lincoln would go to the office
almost everyday and keep writing the document that would not only change the fate of
the Civil War, but was the first step to abolishing slavery.
Cabinet Approves and Opposed Proclamation
On July 22, 1862, Lincoln called a meeting with his cabinet. Before this day he
had not shared the Emancipation Proclamation with anyone but Thomas T. Eckert and
Vice President Hannibal Hamlin.17 Though he knew that he was going to introduce the
proclamation, he knew he had to wait for the correct moment. When ​Secretary of War
Edwin Stanton again brought up the idea of arming the freed slaves, Lincoln knew what
he had to do.18 He told his cabinet members that he had prepared a draft of a
proclamation that would free all of the slaves in the Confederate States, but not in the
border states or in the Union19(see Appendix B). The cabinet was shocked and had a
loss for words.20 Lincoln knew that different members had different opinions so he asked
them for what they personally thought. Attorney General James Speed said that he
​Franklin, ​The Emancipation​, ​[Page 35]​.
Allen C. Guelzo, ​Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation​ (New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney: Simon &
Schuster, n.d.),​ ​[Page 3]​.
18
​Civil War Daily Gazette, "Lincoln Shocks His Cabinet with an Emancipation Proclamation," Civil War Daily Gazette,
last modified July 22, 2012, accessed January 13, 2017,
http://civilwardailygazette.com/lincoln-shocks-his-cabinet-with-an-emancipation-proclamation/.
19
​Carl Sandburg, ​Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings​ (Cleveland and New York: Kraus Reprint Co., 1969),
[Page 690]​.
20
​Sal Khan, "Emancipation Proclamation," video file, 10:10,
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/civil-war-era/slavery-and-the-civil-war/v/emancipation-proclamati
on.
16
17
4
agreed with the idea of only applying the proclamation to the border states.21
Secretaries William H. Seward and Edward Bates were immediately for it.22
“​The color of the prisoner’s skin, and the form of his features, are not
impressed upon the spiritual, immortal mind which works beneath. In spite of
human pride, he is still your brother, and mine, in form and color accepted and
approved by his Father, and yours, and mine, and bears equality with us the
proudest inheritance of our race—the image of our maker. Hold him to be a Man.23
(William Seward, 1853).
Other members like Secretary Salmon Chase were hesitant at best, but
eventually came around for the idea.24 Attorney-General Montgomery Blair and few
other members were against it, saying that it was impulsive decision.25 Lincoln’s mind
could not be swayed though, for he was certain about the Emancipation Proclamation.
One thing that Secretary William Seward suggested that Lincoln take into
consideration was that he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation after the Union
had a victory.26 Seward’s idea came to mind because he thought that if they issued the
proclamation when the Union was losing it would look like an act of surrender, and as if
​James Speed to Abraham Lincoln, "James Speed to Abraham Lincoln," July 28, 1862,
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/
22
​Franklin, ​The Emancipation​, ​[Page 42]​.
23
​ Civil War Trust, "William H. Seward and the Emancipation Proclamation," Civil War Trust, accessed January 23,
2017, http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/emancipation-150/william-h-seward-and-the.html.
24
​Civil War Daily Gazette, "Lincoln Shocks," Civil War Daily Gazette.
25
​Civil War Daily Gazette, "Lincoln Shocks," Civil War Daily Gazette.
26
W​orld History Group, "Emancipation Proclamation Text," History Net, last modified 2017, accessed January 8,
2017, http://www.historynet.com/emancipation-proclamation-text.
21
5
they were on their last resort.27 But, if they emancipated the slaves after a victory it
would look as it is, a way to help the North win. Though Lincoln had wanted to free the
slaves and get the Union back on track as soon as possible, Lincoln agreed.28
The Union Takes A Stand: Emancipation Proclamation Announced
The next two months were very difficult for Lincoln, he wanted to issue the
Emancipation Proclamation, but knew he had to wait for the battle that would change
everything.29 On September 17th, 1862 he saw his chance, for George McClellan and
the Union army won the Battle of Antietam.30 Though this battle was actually a draw, for
the Union it was a victory.31 Since the Union was in a drought for a victory for such a
long time, it was a huge momentum changer and it gave the North confidence that they
could actually beat the Confederate Army.32 Even though this was considered one of the
greatest moments for the Union in the Civil War, it was ​t​he bloodiest single day in
American military history.33 The Battle of Antietam gave Lincoln confidence in his army
and allowed him to pass the Emancipation Proclamation.34
​"10 Facts about the Emancipation Proclamation," Civil War Trust, accessed January 8, 2017,
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/emancipation-150/10-facts.html.
28
​Hymann, ​Lincoln's Decision​, ​[Page 12]​.
29
​Richey, "The Emancipation," audio file.
30
​"Civil War Timeline," Georgia's Blue and Grey Trail.
31
Civ​il War Trust, "Battle of Antietam Summary and Facts," Civilwar.org, last modified 2014, accessed January 16,
2017, http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam.html.
32
Guelzo, ​Lincoln's Emancipation​,​ ​[Page 158]​.
33
​Civil War Trust, "Battle of Antietam," Civilwar.org.
34
​A&E Television Networks, "Emancipation Proclamation," History.com.
27
6
“That on the first day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State, or
designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against
the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the
executive government of the United States, including the military and naval
authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and
will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they
may make for their actual freedom.” 35 (Abraham Lincoln, September, 1862).
Just five days later on September 22nd, 1862 the preliminary version of the
Emancipation Proclamation was issued36(see Appendix C). The Emancipation
Proclamation was the Union’s way of saying, you have one hundred days to surrender
from the Civil War, otherwise we are going to take your slaves.37 The proclamation also
changed the war’s goal from “save the Union”, to “abolish slavery”.38
The Emancipation Proclamation did not give the African-Americans citizenship
though, unless they were men and they joined the Union army.39 But, the proclamation
didn’t apply to the border states or territories that the Union had captured in the
​Abraham Lincoln, "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation," ​Abraham Lincoln Papers​, last modified September 22,
1862, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alrb/step/09221862/001.html.
36
​A&E Television Networks, "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation Is Announced," History.com, last modified
2017, accessed January 17, 2017,
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/preliminary-emancipation-proclamation-is-announced.
37
​Richey, "The Emancipation," audio file.
38
​Abraham Lincoln, "The Emancipation Proclamation," National Archives, last modified 1863, accessed January 22,
2017, https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation.
39
​Franklin, ​The Emancipation​, ​[Page 40].
35
7
Confederacy because the North knew that they could not aggravate them since they
could join the Confederacy.40
A Proclamation That Changed the War
The South did not surrender though. So, the Civil War went on as normal, but the
North’s momentum kept growing since the Battle of Antietam.41 When the night of
January 1st, 1863 came, no one knew whether or not Lincoln was going to issue the
Emancipation Proclamation or if he was just bluffing.42 Lincoln held his ground and on
the first day of 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which made all slaves
forever free.43
On, January 1st, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and applied
to all slaves in rebelling states. Even though no plantation owner freed their slaves at
this time, it gave the slaves courage to escape their home and flee to the North, which
many of them did.44 Slaves finally felt as if they were going to be treated as equals.45
Another thing that the Union army did was when they were fighting in the South they
would give the slaves weapons and told them to go to the North and help them win the
war, both for the country and for the African Americans.46 To the Confederacy the
40
41
42
​Lowery, interview by the author.
​A&E Television Networks, "Preliminary Emancipation," History.com.
​Richey, "The Emancipation," audio file.
​Eric Foner, "The Emancipation of Abe Lincoln," ​New York Times​ (New York, NY), December 31, 2012, ​[Page #]​,
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/opinion/the-emancipation-of-abe-lincoln.html.
44
​University of Pennsylvania, "The Immediate Effects of the Emancipation Proclamation," Historical Society of
Pennsylvania, accessed January 8, 2017,
https://hsp.org/education/unit-plans/the-immediate-effects-of-the-emancipation-proclamation.
45
“​Black Reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation," President Lincoln's Cottage, last modified 2015, accessed
January 15, 2017, http://www.lincolncottage.org/black-reaction-to-the-emancipation-proclamation/.
46
​Khan, "Emancipation Proclamation," video file.
43
8
Emancipation Proclamation was torture. Not only did it free almost 400,000 of their
slaves, but strengthened the Union’s military47(see Appendix D).
“We are all liberated by this proclamation. Everybody is liberated. The
white man is liberated, the black man is liberated, the brave men now fighting the
battles of their country against rebels and traitors are now liberated… I
congratulate you upon this amazing change—the amazing approximation toward
the sacred truth of human liberty.”48 ​(Frederick Douglass, February, 1863).
The Confederacy Disapproved
Many people in the South, and even some in the North, disagreed with the
Emancipation Proclamation.49 One such person was the president of the Confederacy,
Jefferson Davis.50 Davis claimed that the Emancipation Proclamation was a​ ​crime
against humanity.51 He had also told the Union that he would no longer exchange
hostages, but just kill them instead.52 This was a very bold move for Davis, because this
meant that he would no longer get the South’s soldiers back. Another person who
opposed the proclamation was the Confederacy’s General, Robert E. Lee. Lee had
​A. W. Bateman, "The Emancipation Proclamation in Illinois," ​Southern Ægis​ (Bel Air, MD), January 16, 1863, ​[Page
#]​, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88065733/1863-01-16/ed-1/seq-2.pdf.
48
​"The Emancipation Proclamation: Frederick Douglass Responds," ​Brooklyn Historical Society​ (blog), accessed
February 5, 2017,
http://www.brooklynhistory.org/blog/2013/12/17/the-emancipation-proclamation-frederick-douglass-responds/.
49
​Campbell and M'Dermot, "The Proclamation," ​Daily Intelligencer​, September 26, 1862, ​[Page #]​,
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026845/1862-09-26/ed-1/seq-2.pdf.
50
​Guelzo, ​Lincoln's Emancipation​, ​[Page 173]​.
51
​"Jefferson Davis Responds to the Emancipation Proclamation," Civil War Daily Gazette, last modified January 12,
2013, accessed January 5, 2017,
http://civilwardailygazette.com/jefferson-davis-responds-to-the-emancipation-proclamation/.
52
"Jefferson Davis," Civil War Daily Gazette.
47
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thought that when the proclamation was issued, the Union was degrading the
Confederacy and just trying to show off their power.53
“In view of the vast increase of the forces of the enemy, of the savage and
brutal policy he has proclaimed, which leaves us no alternative but success or
degradation worse than death, if we would save the honor of our families from
pollution, our social system from destruction, let every effort be made, every
means be employed, to fill and maintain the ranks of our armies, until God, in his
mercy, shall bless us with the establishment of our independence”54(Robert E.
Lee, January, 1863).
Social and Political Significance Shows Throughout History
In May, 1865, the Confederacy surrendered to the Union. Therefore, the South
joined back to the North, and they became the United States of America again. The
Emancipation Proclamation affected the war in multiple ways. First, it strengthened the
Union army.55 By the end of the war 10% of the army were previous slaves which meant
almost 179,000 African Americans were fighting with the Union and helped them win the
Civil War.56 Another impact it had was how many African Americans were freed.57 Over
​ "'Degradation Worse than Death' Lee Responds to the Emancipation Proclamation.," Fredericksburg History, last
modified February 16, 2011, accessed January 20, 2017,
https://fredericksburghistory.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/degredation-worse-than-death-lee-responds-to-the-emancipa
tion-proclamation/.
54
​"'Degradation Worse," Fredericksburg History.
55
Guelzo, ​Lincoln's Emancipation​, ​[Page 203]​.
56
​A&E Television Networks, "Emancipation Proclamation," History.com.
57
​ Campbell and M'Dermot, "What Will Become of the Emancipated Blacks," ​Daily Intelligencer​, September 27, 1862,
xI edition, sec. 31, ​[Page #]​, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026845/1862-09-27/ed-1/seq-1.pdf.
53
10
400,000 slaves were freed because of the Emancipation Proclamation.58 Second, the
Emancipation Proclamation also showed how the North took a stand against the South.
Since the Emancipation Proclamation was issued it did not allow Great Britain to get
involved.59 Originally, the Confederacy had asked Britain to help them win the war, but
when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued Great Britain, which did not have
slaves, saw how poorly the South was treating slaves and that they would not allow
them to be freed.60 Some longer term effects on the society were that slavery was
abolished and now African Americans are now apart of the United States, and they
always will be. Also, the Emancipation Proclamation caused the Civil War to result in a
victory for the Union, which means that our great country is together, just like our
founding fathers intended it to be.
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the
United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” ​(Abraham Lincoln, April,
1864)​.
On April 8th, 1864 the Thirteenth Amendment was written, saying that slavery
would no longer be allowed in the United States. This meant that as of December 18th,
1865, slavery was abolished, and all the slaves were free.61 The Thirteenth Amendment
58
59
​Lowery, e-mail interview by the author.
​A&E Television Networks, "Preliminary Emancipation," History.com.
​Alexandria Gazette​ (Alexandria, VA), December 20, 1862,
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1863-01-06/ed-1/seq-3.pdf.
61
​"The Thirteenth," Weebly.
60
11
also set up better lives for the African Americans. Even though they were free men most
of them went right back to the plantations that they had previously worked on, but with
better conditions and pay.62 The amendment also created a platform for the Fourteenth
and Fifteenth Amendment to be written. But, most importantly, the Thirteenth
Amendment helped create the United States for how it is today, with all people equal.
Conclusion: The Importance of the Emancipation Proclamation
So, not only was the Emancipation Proclamation one of the greatest events in
American History, but it changed the fate of the Civil War. The Emancipation
Proclamation was the first real step to abolishing slavery. Without it African Americans
might still be living with terrible conditions and the Confederate States of America might
still be around. These reasons represent why the Emancipation Proclamation was one
of the most important stands in history.
​Jeffrey Rosen, "An Overview and the 13th Amendment," audio file, 4:42, Khan Academy, accessed January 22,
2017,
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-5/apush-reconstruction/v/the-reconstruction-amendme
nts-overview-and-13th-amendment.
62
12
Appendix A
Archive, Hulton. ​Cotton Slaves​. Photograph.
http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/slavery?excludenudity=true&mediatype=pho
tography&phrase=slavery&sort=mostpopular.
Before the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were badly overworked. Cotton
plantations were very common in the south, and very hard to manage. The
Emancipation Proclamation fixed this problem and solved many others.
13
Appendix B
Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington. ​President Lincoln with Cabinet
Reading the Emancipation Proclamation​. Photograph.
https://www.jhsgw.org/exhibitions/online/lincolns-city/items/show/249.
This picture shows President Lincoln with his cabinet members right before he
shares with them that he has made the Emancipation Proclamation. The picture
shows William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, William P. Fessenden, Hugh
McCulloch, Simon Cameron, Edwin M. Stanton, Edward Bates, and James
Speed.
14
Appendix C
Lincoln, Abraham. ​First Page of the Emancipation Proclamation, Signed by President
Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.​ Photograph. September 22, 1862.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-civilwar/4707.
This is the original preliminary version of the Emancipation Proclamation that was
issued on September 22, 1862. This document changed the Civil War and the
lives of many people. It is now kept at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
15
Appendix D
This Photo Is of Previous Slaves That Are Now Soldiers in the Union Army. Photograph.
http://www.myblackhistory.net/Civil_War.htm.
One major reason the Emancipation Proclamation was passed was because the
Union army needed more soldiers. When the proclamation passed, the African
Americans fled to the North, and most of them became soldiers.
16
Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
Alexandria Gazette​ (Alexandria, VA), December 20, 1862.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1863-01-06/ed-1/seq-3.pdf​.
This newspaper, which was published just before the Emancipation Proclamation was
passed, focused on how the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation did not allow Great
Britain to help the Confederacy in the War. It helped me understand that Britain would
not interfere with American Affairs, especially when slaves were involved. In my paper I
used it when I was writing about Great Britain.
Archive, Hulton. ​Cotton Slaves​. Photograph.
http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/slavery?excludenudity=true&mediatype=photograp
hy&phrase=slavery&sort=mostpopular.
Before the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were badly overworked. Cotton
plantations were very common in the south, and very hard to manage. Unlike most plants,
the cotton would have to picked out of the plant by hand until the cotton gin was
invented.
Bateman, A. W. "The Emancipation Proclamation in Illinois." ​Southern Ægis​ (Bel Air,
MD), January 16, 1863.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88065733/1863-01-16/ed-1/seq-2.pdf.
In this newspaper it focused on the Civil War Status in Illinois, due to the Emancipation
Proclamation, this had helped me understand that though one of the main things that the
Emancipation Proclamation effected was the slaves, it also had a very large effect on the
war. My paper showed information from this because I included information about how
the proclamation impacted the war.
17
Campbell, and M'Dermot. "The Proclamation." ​Daily Intelligencer​, September 26, 1862,
2. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026845/1862-09-26/ed-1/seq-2.pdf.
This source is a newspaper written shortly after the Preliminary Emancipation
Proclamation was issued. This article not only focused on about what the Emancipation
Proclamation did, but also how the South felt about it. The newspaper impacted my paper
because it helped me understand more about how the Confederacy was impacted because
of the Proclamation, but how they felt about is as well.
"What Will Become of the Emancipated Blacks." ​Daily Intelligencer​, September 27,
1862, xI edition, sec. 31, 1.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026845/1862-09-27/ed-1/seq-1.pdf.
This newspaper was written to inform citizens about what will happen to the slaves once
the Emancipation Proclamation is put into effect. Though that was the main focus of the
newspaper, it also has information about the basic information, and how the proclamation
is punishing the Confederacy. This helped me when writing my paper because I had
gotten more information about how it had affected the African Americans.
Chase, Salmon P. Letter to Abraham Lincoln, December 31, 1862.
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/208/2083000/malp
age.db&recNum=0.
In the letter that Salmon P. Chase wrote to Abraham Lincoln only day before the Final
Emancipation Proclamation was issued, Chase was persuading Lincoln to make some
minor changes to the document. This helped me understand some minor details about the
proclamation that I had not known before. The letter also made me see how Chase was a
part in sculpting the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Daily Ohio Statesman​ (Columbus, OH). "Emancipation Memorial- Report of
Delegation to President Lincoln- What the President Said." September 26, 1862, 1.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028645/1862-09-26/ed-1/seq-1.pdf.
This newspaper, which was issued two days after the Preliminary Emancipation
Proclamation, was wrote about how Lincoln and the government had issued the
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and what that had done for the Union. The paper
helped me understand how some people felt about the Emancipation Proclamation. The
newspaper also included an interview with the president which gave me some
information about how he felt about the situation.
18
Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington. ​President Lincoln with Cabinet
Reading the Emancipation Proclamation​. Photograph.
https://www.jhsgw.org/exhibitions/online/lincolns-city/items/show/249.
This picture shows President Lincoln with his cabinet members right before he shares
with then that he has made the Emancipation Proclamation. The picture shows William
H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, William P. Fessenden, Hugh McCulloch, Simon Cameron,
Edwin M. Stanton, Edward Bates, and James Speed.
Lincoln, Abraham. "The Emancipation Proclamation." National Archives. Last modified
1863. Accessed January 22, 2017.
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation.
This website has pictures of the Final Emancipation Proclamation document, along with a
brief summary of what it did to the war. After reading the final Emancipation
Proclamation, it helped me understand what the proclamation was really enforcing. This
helped me with my project because I could see what the Emancipation Proclamation was,
and the summary was useful when writing about the war.
​ irst Page of the Emancipation Proclamation, Signed by President Abraham Lincoln on
F
January 1, 1863.​ Photograph. September 22, 1862.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-civilwar/4707.
This is the original preliminary version of the Emancipation Proclamation that was issues
on September 22, 1862. This document changed the Civil War and the lives of many
people. It is now kept at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
"Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation." ​Abraham Lincoln Papers​. Last modified
September 22, 1862. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alrb/step/09221862/001.html.
This website had the original Emancipation Proclamation included, along with some
notes and edits from other people. This allowed me to read through the Emancipation
Proclamation and be able to understand what it actually said.
19
Norton, Roger J. "Abraham Lincoln Quotes about Slavery." Abraham Lincoln Research
Site. Last modified 2017. Accessed January 8, 2017.
http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln95.html.
This website is packed with quotes said by President Lincoln during his presidency. This
source especially helped me understand what Lincoln's personal thoughts were during all
these significant events. A quote that I had used in my paper was about Lincoln's
thoughts about slavery.
Seward, William H. Letter to Abraham Lincoln, December 20, 1862.
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/205/2059600/malp
age.db&recNum=0.
This letter, sent to Lincoln by Seward, was some suggestions that Seward had to alter the
Emancipation Proclamation. This helped me understand some minor details of the final
Emancipation Proclamation. The letter also helped me understand how William Seward
was a key person when the Emancipation Proclamation was passed
Speed, James. Letter to Abraham Lincoln, "James Speed to Abraham Lincoln," July 28,
1862.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mal:@field(DOCID+@lit(d1731600))%
A0.
In a letter James Speed had written to Abraham Lincoln, Speed had talked about how the
situation would have gotten worse if the Emancipation Proclamation applied to the border
states. This helped me not only understand Speed's position about the proclamation, but
how he thought it was written about the border states. This letter helped me while writing
my paper because I could inform about the border states and how Speed felt about them.
This Photo Is of Previous Slaves That Are Now Soldiers in the Union Army. Photograph.
http://www.myblackhistory.net/Civil_War.htm.
One major reason the Emancipation Proclamation was passed was because the Union
army needed more soldiers. When the proclamation passed, the African Americans feed
to the North, and most of them became soldiers.
20
Secondary Sources
A&E Television Networks. "Emancipation Proclamation." History.com. Last modified
2017. Accessed January 8, 2017.
http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation.
This website was a summary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the journey it went
through. Something I learned from this resource was how Abraham Lincoln felt about
slavery and the Civil War, what happened before and after the Emancipation
Proclamation was issued, and how that lead to the Thirteenth Amendment. In my paper, I
had used this for all the reasons above, but one area it really helped me in was how
slavery impacted Lincoln.
A&E Television Networks, "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation Is Announced."
History.com. Last modified 2017. Accessed January 17, 2017.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/preliminary-emancipation-proclamation-is-an
nounced.
This website is all about what happened when Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary
Emancipation Proclamation. This source gave me more information about why the
Emancipation Proclamation was passed, and also how it affected the war. In my paper it
helped me when I was writing about those specific reasons and also for some effects.
"Black Reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation." President Lincoln's Cottage. Last
modified 2015. Accessed January 15, 2017.
http://www.lincolncottage.org/black-reaction-to-the-emancipation-proclamation/.
This website focuses on how the African Americans felt when the Emancipation
Proclamation was issued. I had used this in my paper when writing about how the
previous slaves reacted to the proclamation. This also helped be able to understand the
reasons the slaves were overjoyed.
21
Block, Melissa. "Emancipating Lincoln: A Pragmatic Proclamation." NPR. Last modified
2017. Accessed January 8, 2017.
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/14/148520024/emancipating-lincoln-a-pragmatic-proclamati
on.
This website was a summary of what the Emancipation Proclamation was. This includes
historical context, and how the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. This helped me in
my paper because it was helpful to get an overall summary and also get some information
from specific areas like how Lincoln was anti-slavery.
"Civil War Timeline / Chronology for 1862." Georgia's Blue and Grey Trail. Accessed
January 9, 2017. ​http://blueandgraytrail.com/year/1862​.
This website has a timeline of what happen in the Civil War during 1862. This helped me
understand what what happening before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, and
what happened after. The source impacted my paper because I was able to write about
how the union was losing before the proclamation, and how the momentum switched
after.
Civil War Trust. "Battle of Antietam Summary and Facts." Civilwar.org. Last modified
2014. Accessed January 16, 2017. ​http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam.html​.
This website helped me understand how the Battle of Antietam affected the Emancipation
Proclamation. The website focused on the actual battle, and how the Emancipation
Proclamation was passed because of it. This helped me in my paper because I was able to
get more knowledge about the battle and was able to see how much of a momentum
changer it was in the Civil War.
"10 Facts about the Emancipation Proclamation." Civil War Trust. Accessed January 8,
2017. http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/emancipation-150/10-facts.html.
This website is all about facts about the Emancipation Proclamation, specifically an
outline of what happened and when. This helped me understand the effect of the
Emancipation Proclamation on the Civil War and how it also changed the main focus of
the war.
22
"William H. Seward and the Emancipation Proclamation." Civil War Trust. Accessed
January 23, 2017.
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/emancipation-150/william-h-seward-and-the.h
tml.
This website helped me understand how William H. Seward felt about the Emancipation
Proclamation. This website also provides an excellent quote that helped he understand
how Seward felt about slavery. This helped me in my paper when I was writing about
when Lincoln showed the proclamation to his cabinet.
"'Degradation Worse than Death' Lee Responds to the Emancipation Proclamation."
Fredericksburg History. Last modified February 16, 2011. Accessed January 20, 2017.
https://fredericksburghistory.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/degredation-worse-than-death-le
e-responds-to-the-emancipation-proclamation/.
This website helped me understand Robert E. Lee's opinion about the Emancipation
Proclamation. The website had a very informational quote that Lee had said after the
proclamation was issued. My paper was impacted by this source because I had used it
when writing about the Confederacy's reaction.
"The Emancipation Proclamation: Frederick Douglass Responds." ​Brooklyn Historical
Society​ (blog). Accessed February 5, 2017.
http://www.brooklynhistory.org/blog/2013/12/17/the-emancipation-proclamation-frederic
k-douglass-responds/.
This blog is a great source that is about how Frederick Douglass and the rest of the slaves
responded to the Emancipation Proclamation. Also in the blog there is a quote from
Douglass that is included in my paper. This source helped me when writing my paper
because I was able to write from the point of view that an African American would have
had during this time.
23
Foner, Eric. "The Emancipation of Abe Lincoln." ​New York Times​ (New York, NY),
December 31, 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/opinion/the-emancipation-of-abe-lincoln.html.
This newspaper was celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the
Emancipation Proclamation. This provided a summary that included information about
the proclamation being passed, how it effected the war, and what happened after. This
helped me in my paper because I was able to use the information from those specific
areas.
Franklin, John Hope. ​The Emancipation Proclamation​. Garden City: Doubleday &
Company, 1963.
This book was an amazing resource for me when writing about the Emancipation
Proclamation. Though this book was about the whole Emancipation Proclamation I had
used this mainly when writing about the writing of the Emancipation Proclamation. This
helped me understand more about motives for the proclamation, along with the writing
process.
Guelzo, Allen C. ​Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation​. New York, London, Toronto,
and Sydney: Simon & Schuster, n.d.
This source is a book that helped me in my research because it was all about the
Emancipation Proclamation and key people that affected it. I had mainly used this book
for people that had an impact on the proclamation and what the impact was. My paper
was made better because of this book because I could write about key people and also an
overview about the Emancipation Proclamation.
Hymann, Harold M., ed. ​Lincoln's Decision for Emancipation​. Philadelphia, New York,
and Toronto: J.B. Lippincott Company, n.d.
This book was all about Lincoln's decision and reasons for the Emancipation
Proclamation. I had used this resource in my paper because it had helped me understand
the main reasons the proclamation was written and how those changed after the Civil
War.
24
"Jefferson Davis Responds to the Emancipation Proclamation." Civil War Daily Gazette.
Last modified January 12, 2013. Accessed January 5, 2017.
http://civilwardailygazette.com/jefferson-davis-responds-to-the-emancipation-proclamati
on/.
This website was about how the Confederacy and their president, Jefferson Davis,
responded to the Emancipation Proclamation. My understanding changed because I had
thought that when the proclamation was issued the Confederacy just took it, I was wrong
though and this website told em what really happened.
Khan, Sal. "Emancipation Proclamation." Video file, 10:10.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/civil-war-era/slavery-and-the-civilwar/v/emancipation-proclamation.
This video was useful to me because it helped me understand more about how the cabinet
reacted to the Emancipation Proclamation and how the slaves reacted. This helped me in
the process of writing my paper because it gave me in depth information about many
areas that I had written about.
"Lincoln Shocks His Cabinet with an Emancipation Proclamation." Civil War Daily
Gazette. Last modified July 22, 2012. Accessed January 13, 2017.
http://civilwardailygazette.com/lincoln-shocks-his-cabinet-with-an-emancipation-procla
mation/.
This website was all about Lincoln presenting the Emancipation Proclamation to his
cabinet. This helped me understand how certain people felt about the proclamation and
the pros and cons of it. This helped me with my paper when I was writing about when
Lincoln was presenting the proclamation to his cabinet and their initial reactions.
Lowery, Vincent. E-mail interview by the author. Green Bay, WI. November 28, 2016.
This interview is all about what happened before and after the Emancipation
Proclamation. Some topics focused on was how the Union took a stand, the impacts, how
the proclamation affected the border states, and how it affected the Civil War. This
helped me in my paper because it allowed me to understand those topics better, and I got
another person's point of view about the Emancipation Proclamation.
25
National Geographic. "The Emancipation Strategy." Audio file, 2:28. 2016.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/the-emancipation-strategy/.
This video helped me understand more about how the Emancipation Proclamation
affected the Civil War. This helped me in writing my paper because one main topic that
this video focused on was about how the white soldiers would not fight for a different
race.
"National History Day 2012 - the Emancipation Proclamation." Audio file, 10:00.
Accessed December 8, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obCuOmIQHeg.
This video, which was a National History Documentary, was all about the Emancipation
Proclamation. This clip helped me not only get some more information the proclamation,
but it helped me get the feel for what a National History Day project is. This helped me
with my paper because it helped me understand what information was important enough
to go into my paper, and what was not.
Oakes, James. ​Freedom National​. New York and London: W.W. North & Company, n.d.
This book was useful to me because it focused on the border states. Not only did this
resource give me each state's status during the war, but told me how the Emancipation
Proclamation could have affected the border states. This resource impacted my paper
because when I was writing about the border states it gave me great information.
Richey, Tom. "The Emancipation Proclamation." Audio file. 2013.
https://youtu.be/02jsgp6UQdY.
This video was an amazing source. Not only did it give me information about before,
during, and after the Emancipation Proclamation, but it helped me understand a lot about
the Battle of Antietam. This helped me in my paper because I had more details about the
Battle of Antietam and a lot more.
26
Rosen, Jeffrey. "An Overview and the 13th Amendment." Audio file, 4:42. Khan
Academy. Accessed January 22, 2017.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-5/apush-reconstruction/v/
the-reconstruction-amendments-overview-and-13th-amendment.
This video clip was focused on what the Thirteenth Amendment was, how the
Emancipation Proclamation led up to it, and what it did for the slaves. This helped me
write my paper because it had helped me write about the Thirteenth Amendment and how
it constitutionally freed the slaves.
Sandburg, Carl. ​Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings​. Cleveland and New York:
Kraus Reprint Co., 1969.
This book was just the final Emancipation Proclamation text. This helped me in my paper
because it provided a good quote and also allowed me to understand what the
proclamation really said.
Say Media Inc. "Abraham Lincoln- the Emancipation Proclamation." Video file, 2:26.
http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540/videos/abraham-lincoln-the
-emancipation-proclamation-34010750.
This video was a summary of the Emancipation Proclamation. This helped me when
writing my paper because it helped me understand things like how the proclamation
affected the war, and what the proclamation did.
"The Thirteenth Amendment." Weebly. Accessed January 22, 2017.
http://thirteenthamendmentnhd.weebly.com/process-paper.html.
This previous National History Day project was in the form of a website and the topic
was the Thirteenth Amendment. This website helped me understand what the Thirteenth
Amendment did and what happened after it was passed. This helped me in my project
because it contributed to the section where I talked about the Thirteenth Amendment.
27
Weebly. Abraham Lincoln. Accessed January 8, 2017.
http://abelincolnnhd.weebly.com/emancipation-proclamation.html.
This website, which is a previous National History Day project, helped me get some facts
about the Emancipation Proclamation. This source also gave me some information about
Abraham Lincoln and what he did for the slaves. This helped me understand more about
Lincoln's view about the war and the slaves.
28