The Emancipation Proclamation The American Civil War Chapter 17 Section 1 By: Kara Goplin

Before You Learned Abolitionists had been fighting to end slavery for many decades before the Civil War began.

Now You Will Learn The Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom to slaves in the confederacy and allowed African Americans to join the Union army.

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the war effort? In parts of the South, slavery began to collapse early in the war. Union armies swept through Confederate territory and thousands of enslaved people escaped from the plantations. Abolitionists realized that the war provided an opportunity to destroy slavery forever.

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the war effort? Cont. Lincoln hesitated although he did not like slavery. He feared that he didn’t have the constitutional power to abolish slavery in every state. Lincoln’s priority was to preserve the Union. “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it. If I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it;

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the war effort? Cont. And if I could save it be freeing some and leaving others alone, I would do that also.” In the summer of 1862, Lincoln had decided in favor of emancipation. If freeing the slaves helped weaken the South, then he would do it. Lincoln waited for a moment when the Union was in a position of strength.

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the war effort? Cont. After General Lee’s forces were stopped at the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln felt confident enough to act. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were free. The Proclamation made a great impact on the public, but it freed few slaves.

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the war effort? Cont. The Union army could enforce the proclamation only in the Confederate territory under its control. Critics asked if Lincoln freed slaves only in the South. Lincoln believed that the Constitution did not give him the authority to free all slaves. Since freeing the slaves in the South weakened the Confederacy, the proclamation could be seen as a military action.

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the war effort? Cont. Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not free many enslaved people, it added a great moral purpose to the Union cause. The Civil War was now being fought to free millions of Americans from slavery.

How did African American soldiers contribute to the Union cause? African American men were alowed to fight in the war. Before the Proclamation the federal government had discouraged the enlistment of African Americans, and only a few regiments were formed. After the restrictions were lifted, African Americans rushed to join the Union army.

How did African American soldiers contribute to the Union cause? Cont. African Americans were organized into 116 all-black regiments, usually led by white soldiers. African Americans showed great courage on the battlefield and wore their uniforms with pride.

How did African American soldiers contribute to the Union cause? Cont. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteers was one of the first African American Regiments organized in the North. The 54th Massachusetts earned its greatest glory in July 1863, when it led a heroic attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina.

Fredrick Douglass Fredrick Douglass had argued for the recruitment of African Americans soldiers since the start of the war. He believed that military service would be the first step to full citizenship. He declared , “Once (you) let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U.S.... there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship.”

Conclusion The Emancipation Proclamation was a sign that the war was bringing change to the North and the South. As the fighting continued, it was clear that the war was changing the American society in many ways.

Fredrick and Abraham