The Emancipation Proclamation

Somebody once remarked, “No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent” (“Abraham Lincoln Quotes”). At the initial view, the Civil War was going to be won by the South. Nonetheless, all that changed when Abraham Lincoln constructed the Emancipation Proclamation because it did not solely free slaves, it further altered antiquity for the salutary and assisted the North in the war, which led to their triumph. The Emancipation Proclamation was Abraham Lincoln’s greatest achievement as president. The Emancipation Proclamation freed many slaves because Lincoln sent out a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, it fabricated the thirteenth amendment, and it encouraged other areas to end slavery as well. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation freed many slaves because this writing warned the states that if they did not return to the Union, then their slaves would be forever free. All the slaves were released on January 1, 1863, in the areas under Confederate control, which was a tremendous step towards the ending of slave-owning (Holzer).

The slaves were not only freed, they also had a chance for employment, such as joining the army, and for protection (“Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863.”). African Americans also had an opportunity to get a citizenship (“Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863.”). Lincoln also sent out the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, which meant the slaves had 4 months to return to the Union. When all the states neglected, their slaves were freed permanently (“Emancipation Proclamation.” Civil Rights in the United States). Lincoln had warned in his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation by saying “…the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free” (“Emancipation Proclamation.” Civil Rights in the United States). This shows that Lincoln had warned the states that if they were in resistance against the United States their slaves would be unoccupied permanently. The Emancipation Proclamation also fabricated the 13th Amendment. This was important because the Constitution allowed slaves and said they were a property. When Lincoln sent out the Emancipation Proclamation, it influenced the making of the 13th Amendment (Holzer).

The Emancipation Proclamation also encouraged other places to also end slavery. It encouraged the border state of Maryland to end slavery (Holzer). This also led to the termination of slavery all together. For example, the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom from Union troops (“Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863.”). The Emancipation Proclamation also ended slavery in European nations, such as England and France. This made them hesitant about defending slavery after it had been abrogated in their individual territories (“Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863.”). Also, as the Union troops progressed through the South, thousands of slaves were released (“Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863.”).

By getting rid of slavery, Lincoln hoped to achieve the loyalty of Europe which was against slavery but had industrial connections with the South (Bodenner). Throughout the Civil War, slavery had a tremendous impression on the course of the war. At first slavery was helping the South win the war because the chattels were doing all the white men’s farming and factory work, which meant the white men were available for fighting in the war (Holzer). However, when Abraham Lincoln established the Emancipation Proclamation the slaves could leave, making the white men unable to fight in the army because they had to do their own work (Holzer). Slaves also had more motivation because they were fighting against their former masters (Bodenner). If their former masters had treated them horribly, the freed slaves will have a greater motivation to win the war against them. Former slaves were also allowed to join the army after they escaped servitude (“Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863.”).

By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had absconded to the opportunity of freedom beyond the Northern lines. The former slaves could join the Union Army and the Navy (Holzer). From those 500,000 laborers, 200,000 black soldiers and circumnavigators, a multitude of them were former veterans, served in the armed forces (Holzer). The North now had more strategies and more tactics. The discharged captives could also barricade forts, positions, stations, and other locations, and to other man bateaus (“Emancipation Proclamation.” Civil Rights in the United States). By freeing the slaves, Lincoln hoped to dispossess the South of its prime source of labor and inspire escaped slaves to enlist in the Union Army.Abraham Lincoln’s greatest achievement as president was the constituting of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Works Cited

1. Holzer, H. (2012). Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty. Simon & Schuster.
2. "Abraham Lincoln Quotes." BrainyQuote, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/abraham_lincoln_109586.
3. "Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863." The National Archives, www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation.
4. "Emancipation Proclamation." Civil Rights in the United States, edited by Waldo E. Martin Jr., et al., Macmillan Reference USA, 2000, pp. 249-252.
5. Bodenner, C. (2015). Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America. Thirty-Six Ink Publishing.
6. Foner, E. (2010). The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. W. W. Norton & Company.
7. Guelzo, A. C. (2006). Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America. Simon & Schuster.
8. McPherson, J. M. (2002). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
9. Stampp, K. M. (1990). America in 1857: A Nation on the Brink. Oxford University Press.
10. Symonds, C. L. (2008). Lincoln and His Admirals. Oxford University Press.