Emancipation Proclamation By: Navneet Garcha, Nataly Solorzano, and Stephanie morla

Definition: Presidential Proclamation Declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free” War measure during the Civil War Transformed the fight to preserve the nation into a battle for human freedom Made the end of slavery a clear war goal, in addition to reuniting the Union Did not end slavery in the nation, but was a huge step toward abolishing it Definition: It was based on the president’s constitutional authority as commander in chief of the armed forces. It did not itself outlaw slavery. The proclamation also authorized the recruitment of freed slaves and free blacks as Union soldiers; during the next 2 1/2 years 180,000 of them fought in the Union army and 10,000 in the navy, making a vital contribution to Union victory as well as their own freedom. It proclaimed the freedom of slaves in the ten states that were still in rebellion, thus applying to 3 million of the 4 million slaves in the U.S. at the time.

Places Significant to the Emancipation Proclamation: Issued in America before the third year of the Civil War In the war, Southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America The North became the Union Emancipation Proclamation mainly impacted the South only The Emancipation Proclamation was signed in America and it mostly directed toward the southern states, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, and Texas. They were later joined by Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Issue Date: Issued on January 1, 1863 Lincoln issued preliminary proclamation on September 22, 1862 Lincoln tried to persuade Confederate states to accept gradual emancipation The Confederate states refused and this led to the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation Energized anti-slavery forces Undermined forces that wanted to help the Confederacy He issued the preliminary proclamation to warn all the states still in rebellion by January 1st, then he would declare all their slaves free. When January 1st came, none of the Confederate states restored themselves to the union, and the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. It lifted the spirits of African Americans and led many slaves to escape their masters.

Abraham Lincoln: Disliked slavery Bound by a Constitution that protected slavery in any state where citizens wanted it Issued and signed the Emancipation Proclamation Worried about the support of the border states and the Northern Democrats Goal was to save the Union At first, he carefully framed the conflict as concerning the preservation of the Union rather than the abolition of slavery. He knew the northerners wouldn’t support the abolition of slavery as a war aim. But after the fugitives fled, he chose the morally correct path. He risked alienating the Republican half of his constituency in order to act against slavery. He believed that emancipation had become a military necessity. He wanted to unite the Union, and he did this by freeing the slaves. He warned opponents of the Emancipation Proclamation to accept it in order to keep the Union together.

Steps Leading to the Emancipation Proclamation: Republicans wanted the war to become a war against slavery itself War was going bad for the Union Congress enacted two laws Lincoln decided on freeing all slaves in states waging war against the Union Waited until a major Union military victory could give it more force After the Union victory in the Battle of Antietam, the preliminary proclamation was issued Emancipation Proclamation was issued in order to save the Union People were convinced that emancipation was a military necessity. It would weaken the Confederacy and strengthen the Union by draining off part of the Southern labor force and adding this manpower to the Northern side. In July 1862, Congress passed two laws based on this evidence: a second confiscation act that freed slaves of people who had engaged in rebellion against the United States, and a militia act that allowed the president to use freed slaves in the army in any position.

Reasons and Results for the Emancipation Proclamation: Issued to help end slavery Before, slaves had to act to secure their own liberty Confirmed the insistence that the war for the Union must become a war for freedom After it was issued, every advance of federal troops increased freedom Surrender of Confederate forces on April 9, 1865 One of the greatest documents of human freedom Separate state actions and the Thirteenth Amendment emancipated more regions It was written mainly for human liberty and to contribute to abolish slavery. As a result, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom. Also, after the surrender of the Confederacy, national unity prevailed in the U.S. Plus, the states exempted from the Proclamation had been emancipated before the Civil War ended, by the Thirteenth Amendment, or by separate state actions. Also, it added force to the Union cause and strengthened the Union both politically and militarily.

Why the Emancipation Proclamation Wasn’t Enough to Help Slaves: Only applied to states that seceded from the Union, leaving slavery undealt with in the loyal border states Excused parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control The freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory It did not apply to the four slave states that were not in rebellion. It also excluded some regions already controlled by the Union army. It only applied to slaves in Confederate-held hands. In regions where rebellion was low, slaves were immediately emancipated. When the Union Army took control of Confederate regions, the Proclamation freed more than 3 million slaves in those areas.

Another Legislation That Helped Freed Slaves Start New Lives: The Thirteenth Amendment Not sure of validity of the Emancipation Proclamation after war Adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery, except as punishment for a crime Ratified in December 1865 Confiscation Act of 1862 African-American Civil Rights Movement The legal framework of slavery would still exist in the former Confederate states as well as in the Union slave states that had been exempted from the proclamation. The thirteenth amendment made slavery, except for those duly convicted of a crime, illegal everywhere subject to United States jurisdiction. Also, the Confiscation Act of 1862 formed the legal basis for the Emancipation Proclamation and the African-American Civil Rights Movement contributed to freeing slaves.

Works Cited: "The Emancipation Proclamation." Archives.gov. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2014. "Google Images." Google.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2014. History.com Staff. "Emancipation Proclamation." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 04 Sept. 2014.