How did the US Civil War impact Kentucky?

Answer 1

It only "freed" slaves in territories the US no longer controlled. In other words, it freed no slaves, but instead served as a moral impetus for the North's flagging war effort.

If Lincoln had indeed free slaves in Kentucky, or any of the border states, the threat of further secession would have potentially damaged the Union beyond repair. These states still had sizable slave holdings, so Lincoln had to approach the issue with kid gloves. He was against slavery as an institution, but his desire to preserve the Union trumped all else.

It took the 13th Amendment to the Constitution after the war to officially end slavery in Kentucky and all the other states which had remained loyal.

Answer 2

Kentucky was a slave border state that preferred to remain as neutral as possible. With that said, both the Union and the Confederacy saw the state as a place of great importance. President Lincoln believed strongly that if Kentucky joined the South it would change the course of the war. The South invaded Kentucky with the hopes of recruiting more soldiers and declaring the state to be a "supporter" of the South. Although there was a strong pro-South supporters in Kentucky, they were not enough to swing the state over to the Southern cause. As a border slave state, the war brought about internal tensions.