Lincoln was in a situation where his party was against slavery, the south started getting radical. The people of the North wanted Lincoln to discipline the south by abolishing slavery. Missouri, Delaware, Maryland, & Kentucky were slave states that hadn’t left to join the south. Abe didn’t want to create this document that would free slaves and advocate these new rules then have the last four states leave and join the Confederate army. Also if Maryland joins the Confederates, that would leave Washington D.C surrounded.

The war began, slavery isn’t abolished, the masters were at war. The North raided the south and free colored men and women of color and they joined the Union. At that moment the army didn’t know how to deal with coloreds in the army. They referred to the colored as “contrabands” since they were property under the law. Which is seen as a bonus due to slaves being lost in war, that being a loss of money. 1862 the Emancipation Proclamation was in its rough draft stages. The war became clear it was slavery based and the officials were pushing for Lincoln to abolish slavery. September 22nd, 1862 was signed right after the Battle of Antietam. US army officers had to read a copy of the document to former slaves to let them know that they were free but only those that were in “rebellion against the United States”. That meant that the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t apply to Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and Maryland. Also, the proclamation wasn’t indefinite so later it had to become law that we know now as the 13th Amendment. Congress abolished New Year’s Day 1863. The emancipation made it possible for African Americans to join the military. Even general Ulysses S. Grant welcomed African-American troops and wrote a letter to Lincoln August 23rd, 1863 stating – 

 

"I have given the subject of arming the negro my hearty support. This, with the emancipation of the negro, is the heaviest blow yet given the Confederacy. The South care a great deal about it and profess to be very angry. But they were united in their action before and with the negro under subjection could spare their entire white population for the field. Now they complain that nothing can be got out of their negroes.”

 

 

Lincoln decision to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation shift the ties of the war dramatically. Southern were already concerned with their livestock being under attack. I feel like the South didn’t have much to fight for besides the protection of their pockets. All they know is their way of living is being invaded and its potentially going to take away the food off their plate. They reacted how any normal human would’ve responded, retaliation. These are understandable reasons to fight back with the wrong motives. Families were being taken away, states are separating from the country, these motives outweighed the Confederacies. It was a defensive battle versus a battle of livelihood. If the south were to win where we are? If war came how would half a country fair against the full ones? If the country separates how would each side stay functional? “Divided we fall but together we conquer” I fear the future of the country was on the mind more than freeing slaves. I believe the Emancipation was made for the ideals that morally owning, selling, beating, or slaving another human wasn’t right. Instead of that, this country can’t afford to be split in two, even if going through reconstruction (twice) is necessary. I also believe that the south pulled inspiration from the Revolution War against England. America accomplished separating itself from countries they didn’t want to be involved with, why not again? Where would America be like if there was a North-North America and a North-South America? Would they protect one another or cut ties due to differences? Would other countries follow the American way we hold proud today by owning people? How many of today's’ inventions would still be here if slaves never been free? A different view point from a different destiny.

The importance of this war shows that if going the wrong way kids like me wouldn’t be typing this paper. Minorities would either be slaves or out of the country and this we wouldn’t manifest into what we are today. I wouldn’t have the right to vote or be considered a citizen. 439 years of captivity created a century of racial discrimination leading us to today where too many reoccurring instances where color comes into play into society. I hate to say bringing Africans over to America wasn’t the bad thing. Trying to kick out Africans out, mistreating people, cutting off body parts, selling people, lynching, etc. were wait today’s society can’t digest. We can’t forget these things, it's real and its proof of it happening. But at the same time, even though it was a harsh reality I look at it as a stepping stone to the greater of America. You can’t justify 439 years of captivity, but you can build from it, and use it to show what direction not to go in. The importance of this paper is the show that kids like me never had to go through times like that but somebody in order for this paper to be completed. Freedom is what slaves received and a blessing is what was returned. 

 

"Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of CongressHistory." History - Abraham Lincoln Papers - Collection Connections | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress. Accessed December 11, 2017. https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/abraham-lincoln-papers/history6.html.

 

"The Emancipation Proclamation (article)." Khan Academy. Accessed December 11, 2017. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history/period-5/apush-slavery-and-the-civil-war/a/the-emancipation-proclamation.

 

"Abraham Lincoln." Biography.com. August 11, 2017. Accessed December 11, 2017. https://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540.

 Andrews, Evan. "10 Things You May Not Know About Ulysses S. Grant." History.com. July 23, 2015. Accessed December 11, 2017. http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-ulysses-s-grant.