Where Did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

Answer 1

The dates of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation were on September 22, 1862 and the final one on January 1, 1863.

To properly answer the question of "when did Lincoln issue his Emancipation Proclamation, some background information is necessary. This is also needed to see the context of the timing of it.

* at the onset of the US Civil War, the emancipation of slaves was not the main objective of President Lincoln;

* Lincoln saw that such a move as this was actually a deterrent and threat to his main goal of preserving the Union;

* Lincoln was a pragmatist. He believed that turning the quest to end the Southern rebellion by making it an abolitionist issue might cause Northern Democrats and border State Unionists to withdraw their support;

* Lincoln was also correct in his thinking that the US Constitution prevented him from freeing slaves;

* Early on in the conflict, when Union generals used their military powers to "free slaves" in the Territories, Lincoln overruled them and in some circumstances he relieved them of their duties;

* As the war dragged on, Lincoln began to believe that linking the rebellion to the cause of emancipation;

* Lincoln saw that linking freedom for slaves would add a deeper and moral reason for aiding his objective of ending the rebellion;

* Lincoln also saw that international support from Great Britain and France would be enhanced if he made abolishing of slavery part of the war effort;

* Lincoln also expected to add to the Union's manpower for the war as slaves, and freed slaves in the North could be added to the Union's military forces;

* During the Summer of 1862, decided to issue an emancipation proclamation as a means of acting "justly" to slaves and as a military measure that was needed to end the rebellion;

* Lincoln realized the timing of such a move would be crucial. As long as the Union's attempts to end the rebellion continued to fail, an emancipation could be viewed as an act of desperation. As an embarrassing example of this was the failure to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, only one hundred miles away from Washington DC;

* After the Battle of Antietam, which caused the Army of Northern Virginia to retreat back to Virginia, Lincoln saw his opportunity. Although the battle was a technical "draw" Lee was forced to retreat;

* On September 22, 1862 Lincoln issued his "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation;

* He was careful to make it clear that this act was a necessary military measure required to end the Southern rebellion; and

* Technically, this could not free any slaves in the rebellious States. In addition, where slavery existed in States loyal to the Union, and in Washington DC, no slaves were freed.

Answer 2

It did not actually free any slaves. It 'proclamed' their freedom in the very states over which Lincoln had no control - those in rebellion. However, it licensed Union troops to liberate any slaves they came across in their Southern campaigns.

Meanwhile it allowed slavery to continue in the four slave-states that had remained loyal.

The Proclamation was not the human rights document it sounded like. It was an urgent tactical move, aimed at shaming Britain and France out of helping the South. (This would have made them look pro-slavery themselves.)

Answer 3

The proclamation was first published September 22, 1862 and issued January 1, 1863.