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Background info.
1. Abolitionists constantly demanded that Lincoln emancipate
(free) the slaves.
Lincoln: “I don’t have the power to free the slaves---only a
constitutional amendment can do this!”
So far, most of the victories have been in the West. The Union
has suffered some humiliating defeats in the East, which is the
focus of attention. For most people in the North, the war seem
to be going very badly and some are questioning whether or
not the Union should keep on fighting.
2. Support for the war is declining---difficult to keep convincing
the people to preserve the Union.
Lincoln: “We need a major victory in the East to show the
people that we CAN win.”
Lincoln’s views on the war and slavery up
to early 1862.
"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 all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by
freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What
I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it
helps to save the Union . . .”
Lincoln hates slavery, BUT he loves the union even more. His
main objective is to save the union and bring the South back.
The issue of slavery is second to him, meaning that he’s willing
to put up with if it means that the South will come back.
By The Summer Of 1862
After so many bloody battles like Shiloh, Seven Days Battles,
and Second Bull Run, Lincoln begins to change his mind
about the war and the issue of slavery. Too much blood has
been spilled and Lincoln realizes that things can’t go back to
the way they were, meaning that even if the South comes
back, we should no longer have slavery. The war now,
according to Lincoln, is to not only save the Union, it’s to
change and improve the Union. This is why he will pressure
Congress into passing the 13th Amendment, which abolishes
slavery.
The Emancipation
Proclamation
• Issued on September 22, 1862, after the Union “victory” at
Antietam---because the proclamation was controversial,
Lincoln had to wait for some good news in order to get
public support.
• Why is Lincoln “hesitant” to emancipate the slaves?
Remember, Lincoln didn’t have the authority to end
slavery-that would take a constitutional amendment! He
also does not want to anger the BORDER STATES!
• Because he can’t just stop slavery, Lincoln used his
powers as commander in chief to issue the proclamation
as a “war measure” because war allows Lincoln to use
“emergency powers” of the president. Thus, it only
applied to the states in the CSA because they were “at
war” with the Union.
The Emancipation
Proclamation
• Went into effect (became law) on January 1, 1863.
• “Freed” the slaves in the states that were in rebellion---basically freed the slaves in the CSA. Will the CSA
obey this law?
• Did not free any slaves in the “border states.”
Remember, the border states were slave states that still
remained loyal to the Union, hence, they were not at “war”
with the Union. As a result, Lincoln’s war powers didn’t
apply to them. The border states got to keep slavery until
it was totally abolished with the 13th amendment at the end
of the Civil War.
Slaves in CSA are
“free” when they
escape and find the
Union army.
Why Lincoln Issued the
Emancipation Proclamation
1. It weaken the CSA by encouraging slaves to run away.
CSA needed the slaves for their plantation, as well as
for workers to help their army (cook food, dig trenches,
carry supplies, etc.).
2. Discouraged Europe from helping the CSA: Europe
had already abolished slavery and saw it as an evil.
Britain and France didn’t want to openly go against the
Union, which was now declaring that it was fighting
against slavery. W/O European help, the CSA can’t
get needed weapons and money needed to fight the war.
3. Gave a war a “noble” cause: fighting not just to bring
the South back, but to end slavery.
Before and After Emancipation
Proclamation
1861-1862 Purpose: Save the Union
1863-1865 Purpose: Save the Union AND end
slavery; eventually Lincoln will allow African Americans
to serve in the military. The 180,000 that enlisted and
fought despite the discriminations they faced turned the
tide of the war in favor of the union. African Americans
fought for the union to prove that they were equal to
whites and “worthy” of being free.