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Chapter 17 “The Tide of War Turns 1863-1865”
Section 1 “The Emancipation Proclamation”
Main Idea: In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation, which helped to change the war’s course.
Terms and Names: (fill in from notes or book)
1. Emancipation Proclamation—freed all slaves in the rebellious
Confederate states
2. 54th Massachusetts Regiment—most famous African American
regiment of the Civil War
I.
Why was Lincoln slow to end slavery?
A.
During the war, abolitionists urged President Lincoln to call for an end
to slavery. Some even said Lincoln helped the Confederate cause by
not ending slavery.
B.
Even so, Lincoln felt he didn’t have the power to abolish slavery.
C.
Also, Lincoln did not want to anger pro-Union groups in the South and
the border states, which were slave states. He knew many white
Northerners opposed emancipation as well.
D.
Lincoln felt his most important task was to bring the Union back
together, and he didn’t want the issue of slavery to divide the Union
even more than it already had.
E.
At the same time, he knew how important slave labor was to the
South. Without it, the South would be weaker and easier to defeat.
F.
By the summer of 1862, the president had decided to emancipate, or
free, enslaved African Americans.
II.
Why was the Emancipation Proclamation important?
A.
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation.
B.
This proclamation freed all the slaves in the rebellious Confederate
states.
C.
Union troops in the South could not enforce the proclamation there, so
Lincoln’s act actually freed few slaves.
D.
But it was an important symbolic measure. For the North, the
Civil War was now a war of liberation.
III. How did Americans react to the Emancipation Proclamation?
A.
In the North, abolitionists rejoiced, although many thought the law did
not go far enough. They thought the president should have freed all
enslaved persons, including those in the border states.
B.
Many Northern Democrats were against the president’s act. They
thought it would prolong the war by angering the South.
C.
Even so, most Union soldiers welcomed emancipation. They
believed it would weaken the South.
D.
In the South, whites reacted to the proclamation with rage. Although
the proclamation had little effect in areas outside the reach of
Northern armies, many slaves began to run away to Union lines.
IV.
How many African Americans fought?
A.
The Emancipation Proclamation allowed African Americans to join in
the Union army. Before the proclamation, the government had
discouraged black enlistment. After emancipation, African Americans
rushed to join the army. By the end of the war, 180,000 black soldiers
had fought for the Union army.
B.
African American soldiers fought in all-black units. White officers
usually led these units. African Americans often were assigned the
worst jobs and paid less than white soldiers. Even so, African American
soldiers showed great courage on the battlefield.
V.
How did the 54th Massachusetts become famous?
A.
The most famous African American regiment of the Civil War
was the 54th Massachusetts regiment.
B.
The unit earned its greatest fame in July 1863, when it led a heroic
attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. The regiment’s bravery at
Fort Wagner made it popular in the North. It also increased African
American enlistment.
C.
African Americans faced greater danger than whites if captured.
Southerners rarely took African Americans as prisoners. Instead, they
shot black soldiers or returned them to slavery.
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Chapter 17-1 Power Point Note Questions
DIRECTIONS: Using your 17-1 Power Point notes, answer the following questions, using
complete sentences.
1.
Why did Lincoln decide in favor of Emancipation?
2.
Why were few slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation?
3.
How did Southerners react to the Emancipation Proclamation?
4.
What discrimination did African American soldiers face?
5.
Why did African Americans face great danger if captured?