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“10 Facts: The Emancipation Proclamation.” Civil War Trust, Civil War Trust, www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/10-facts-emancipation-proclamation.

“Abraham Lincoln.” The White House, The United States Government, 8 Mar. 2017, www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abrahamlincoln.

“Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.” National Museum of American History, 26 Aug. 2013, americanhistory.si.edu/changing-america-emancipation-proclamation-1863-and-march-washington-1963/1863/lincoln-and.

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Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln was the United States sixteenth president. The president ha dto make a decision that will change slaves lives at that time, or at least try to. Abraham Lincoln was one of the first presidents to ever make moves on removing slavery, people thought he completely hated slavery, although that is not all the way true. Abraham was against slavery, but really did not think it was bad.  Abraham Lincoln made a decision to give the slaves a right to fight for their freedom, the South was rebelling against the North, Abraham was not up for that so on January 1st, 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

President Lincoln had first proposed the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet in July 1862, but Secretary of State William Seward suggested waiting for a Union victory so that the government could prove that it could enforce the Proclamation. Although the Battle of Antietam resulted in a draw, the Union army was able to drive the Confederates out of Maryland – enough of a “victory,” that Lincoln felt comfortable issuing the Emancipation just five days later.Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22nd, 1862. It stipulated that if the Southern states did not cease their rebellion by January 1st, 1863, then Proclamation would go into effect. When the Confederacy did not yield, Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863.President Lincoln justified the Emancipation Proclamation as a war measure intended to cripple the Confederacy. Being careful to respect the limits of his authority, Lincoln applied the Emancipation Proclamation only to the Southern states in rebellion.When President Lincoln first proposed the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet in the summer of 1862, many of the cabinet secretaries were apathetic, or worse, worried that the Proclamation was too radical. It was only Lincoln’s firm commitment to the necessity and justice of the Proclamation, along with the victory at Antietam, which finally persuaded his cabinet members to support him. The Southern states used slaves to support their armies on the field and to manage the home front so more men could go off to fight. In a display of his political genius, President Lincoln shrewdly justified the Emancipation Proclamation as a “fit and necessary war measure” in order to cripple the Confederacy’s use of slaves in the war effort. Lincoln also declared that the Proclamation would be enforced under his power as Commander-in-Chief, and that the freedom of the slaves would be maintained by the “Executive government of the United States.”  The Emancipation Proclamation changed the focus of war, up until September 1862, the main focus of the war had been to preserve the Union. With the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation freedom for slaves now became a legitimate war aim.  Another thing is the Emancipation Proclamation gave African Americans the determination, confidence, and the right to fight for their freedom, Lincoln declared in the Proclamation that African-Americans of “suitable condition, would be received into the armed service of the United States.” Five months after the Proclamation took effect; the War Department of the United States issued General Orders No. 143, establishing the United States Colored Troops. By the end of the war, over 200,000 African-Americans would serve in the Union army and navy. The Emancipation Proclamation led the way to total abolition of slavery in the United States, with the Emancipation Proclamation, the aim of the war changed to include the freeing of slaves in addition to preserving the Union. Although the Proclamation initially freed only the slaves in the rebellious states, by the end of the war the Proclamation had influenced and prepared citizens to advocate and accept abolition for all slaves in both the North and South. The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, was passed on December 6th, 1865. This gave the slave community hope to finally become free.Lincoln considered the Emancipation Proclamation the crowning achievement of his presidency, Heralded as the savior of the Union, President Lincoln actually considered the Emancipation Proclamation to be the most important aspect of his legacy. “I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper,” he declared. “If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it." said Abraham Lincoln. “10 Facts: The Emancipation Proclamation.” Civil War Trust, Civil War Trust.

Abraham Lincoln’s decision affected a whole lot of lives, it affected the southern states, and it affected the United States. I believe this decision made Abraham Lincoln’s presidency one of the greatest terms in American history, not only did he free slaves, but he also took action on the south with military power. Abraham Lincoln made a decision to give the slaves a right to fight for their freedom, the South was rebelling against the North, Abraham was not up for that so on January 1st, 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.  Abraham thought his decision on issuing this document not once but twice was going to shock the south and america. Abraham felt proud of himself self after that. The Emancipation Proclamation was one of the most misunderstood and the most important documents in the history of the United States. This document caused military action prior to emancipation, governmental action towards emancipation, and public opinion of emancipation. Lincoln had other things to worry about other during his presidency also, after the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States had to worry about the south again because did not give up after losing in the Civil War, it did not end slavery all the way. For about two hundred more years the south was still trying to keep slavery alive and kept fighting the north. Abolitionists after Abraham Lincoln still held up the fight, but Abraham was one the biggest voices in the history of the United States. Abraham Lincoln's presidency was cut short after a heartbreaking assassination.