Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation - Essay Example

The emancipation proclamation The emancipation proclamation The emancipation proclamation was issued in 1863 to declarethe end of slavery in the southern states. The northern and southern states were divided about the issue of slavery, which led to the civil war. Lincoln was one of the abolitionists from the northern states who were against slavery. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 left the settlers to decide whether they wanted slavery or freedom. The Republican Party adopted a mission to restrict the expansion of slavery.

According to Lincoln, the country was divided along the idea of slavery, but all men including slaves were free under the declaration of independence1. During the civil war, the Union lost several soldiers and Lincoln adopted the emancipation as a military strategy. Freeing the slaves would increase the military might of the Union. The proclamation also aimed at forcing the rebel states to join the northern states so that they could keep the slaves. Freeing slaves would weaken the southern states and over two hundred thousand blacks served in the union forces2.

Lincoln could not issue the proclamation as a president since it would affect the political influence among the anti-abolitionists. Being the commander-in-chief of the northern forces gave him the necessary jurisdiction for issuing the proclamation. Earlier on, he had lost the senate elections because of advocating for the abolition of slavery. This freed the slaves in the confederate states and kept them bonded in the Union states. The southern states would keep their slaves if they denounced secession, which was a strategy for quelling the rebellion.

The Republican victory of 1860 presented a danger to the slave owning states in the south. This caused the secession of the south and their bitter fight during the civil war. The initial declaration freed slaves in the southern states and upheld slavery in the northern states and those occupied by the Union. This was a strategy of stopping the violence and encouraging blacks to join the Union army. Therefore, the initial Proclamation was an act of war. Lincoln wanted to avoid opposition from slave owners in the Union states such as Missouri and Maryland3.

The victory of the north proved that the south could not gain independence through war. The surrender of the confederation called for amendments into the Proclamation to give freedom to slaves in the whole country. This would act as a political strategy for Lincoln to fight the Democrats. The Proclamation was considered as an empowering factor for the Africans. According to the southern whites, the slaves would marry white women and take over their jobs4. The Union soldiers were afraid Africans would take over their military duties by joining the military.

Democrats used it as a campaign strategy to win support from the south, which was against the abolishment of slavery. The free northern blacks supported the Proclamation as it would create equality among all African-Americans in USA. European countries supported the Union since the majorities were against slavery. This prevented England and France from supporting the confederation. Southern slaves viewed the Proclamation as an opportunity to run away and join the Union army. The north changed its objective from fighting to save the Union to fighting to ensure the freedom of a race.

The south also changed from fighting for independence to fighting for the survival of its way of life. The abolitionists were pleased with the Emancipation Proclamation and supported Lincoln. European aristocrats sympathized with slave holders while diplomatic conditions between Europe and the Union improved. The Emancipation proclamation had freed slaves in the southern states, but had not granted them any rights. Slavery was still legal in the Northern states and in the Border States since slavery had not been outlawed.

The 13th amendment was necessary for abolishing slavery in the entire country. Slavery and involuntary servitude were outlawed in America except for punishment for crime. This amendment abolished slavery in America and in areas under the jurisdiction of the USA. This eliminated the institution of slave trade in the country completely. The civil war in America was mainly caused by the differences in ideologies regarding slavery. The southern states were against the abolition of slavery by the north.

This led to the secession of the thirteen southern states. The emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the southern states during the civil war. Lincoln used it as a war strategy to attract the slaves into the northern forces. It also aimed at forcing the southern states to surrender and rejoin the north in order to keep their slaves. The Proclamation attracted several slaves into the military and strengthened diplomatic relations between the Union and European countries. England and France had abolished slavery, which made it impossible to support the southern states.