What is the Emancipation Proclomation?

Answer 1

The emancipation proclamation was nothing more than an illegal act against the Confederate States only, it was a direct violation of the 13th Amendment of The Constitution. Read Lincoln's own words, he did not care about slaves. He would have continued with slavery if it would have kept the union together.

President Lincoln thought emancipation was justified as a military necessity to preserve the Union. "If the Proclamation of Emancipation was essentially a war measure, it had the desired effect of depriving the Confederacy of much of its valuable laboring force. It simultaneously succeeded in rallying thousands of English and European laborers to the cause of the Union or North, who were anxious to see workers gain their freedom throughout the world.

Abraham Lincoln wrote and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which consisted of 2 executive orders; which were issued in 2 parts. The initial order was issued on September 22, 1862, and the final order was issued, and went into effect on January 1, 1863. Prior to the initial order issued on September 22, 1862, Lincoln discussed the Proclamation with his cabinet in July of 1862. He had not set an effective date for the initial order but he wanted to issue it, once the Union had achieved another battlefield victory. If issued immediately after a Union victory had occurred, he thought the order would be clear, strong, and carry more force in intent.

After the Union had won the Battle of Antietam, in Maryland on September 17, 1862, the first or initial order of the Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862, which stated that all slaves were declared free in any state of the Confederate States of America that did not return to Union control by January 1, 1863. (those Confederate States, if and which, did return, or ended their secession attempt before January 1, 1863, could have kept slavery, at least temporarily.)

The second order or final order of the Proclamation was issued and went into effect on January 1, 1863. It stated: all slaves would be permanently freed in all areas of the Confederacy that had not already returned to federal control by January 1863.

Answer 2

The emancipation proclamation was an order to free the slaves in the confederate states. This applied ONLY to the slaves living in those states.

Answer 3

Abraham Lincoln announce to free the slaves, and ignore also consider the south still in the Union.