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Why did Lincoln wait until after the Battle of Antietam to issue the emancipation proclammation?
freeing the slaves
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
FREED SOUTHERN SLAVESAbraham Lincoln issued the proclamation (first announcing it on Sept. 22, 1862, and putting it into effect on January 1, 1863), declaring slaves free in all areas then in rebellion against the Union. It authorized the Union armed forces to carry this into effect as they took control of areas of the Confederacy. When they received fleeing slaves, they were no longer to return them to their masters. The proclamation freed 3.1 million of the 4 million slaves in the USA. The Proclamation also authorized the Union armies to recruit these freed slaves to fight. A large number joined the Union Army and made a major contribution to the war effort during the final two years of the war.A claim that it "freed no one" (see below) is inaccurate. Yes, it only did so as the Union Army was able to move forward. But that is the same for any law or proclamation --it is a 'dead letter' until backed up by power (sometimes armed force). And this proclamation specifically provided for its own enforcement. In fact, from 1863 through mid-1865 (when on June 19 the order was announced in Texas), the Proclamation was the main instrument by which slaves in the South were actually freed.Note that Lincoln took this step under his "war powers" as Commander-in-chief. He had no general authority under the Constitution to free slaves elsewhere (especially in the border states that had remained loyal to the Union). The criticism of his not freeing slaves in the Union misses this point - the Proclamation could not free these slaves, no matter how much Lincoln might have wanted to.PART OF LARGER PLAN TO FREE ALL SLAVESCritics also ignore the fact that Lincoln & Congress were, even before the Emancipation Proclamation working on Constitutional methods to end slavery throughout the nation. Lincoln, already in 1861, had begun to urge border Union slave states to vote an end to slavery themselves (which some eventually did). His original proposal was "compensated emancipation", providing financial help to states that emancipated their slaves. In fact, Lincoln and Congress had already used this method in April 1862 to free slaves in Washington DC (the one place they had the Constitutional authority to do so!)Lincoln and the Republicans also worked on a method to free all slaves in the Union, as well as to assure that those freed under the Emancipation Proclamation remained free after the war ended (since a court challenge could conceivably reinstate slavery). This was accomplished by means of the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1865.FOREIGN RELATIONSThe Proclamation was not, at first, highly regarded overseas. Britain was not impressed by it, and stayed its hand at recognizing the Confederacy not so much because of the Proclamation, but because the victory at Antietam suggested a Southern victory was not a certainty. The French government did not really care about the slavery issue or 'bad press', but preferred to recognize the South only after Britain did.DOMESTIC POLITICSOne other effect - in the short term, as Lincoln expected, the Proclamation cost him and his party at home. It contributed to a number of key losses in the 1862 elections. This makes it all the more remarkable that Lincoln chose to announce the plan in September, rather than waiting until after those elections.Claim that it had no real effect :The Emancipation Proclamation merely announced Lincoln's intention to free slaves that it had no power to free. No slaves were freed (not even on paper) until the actual Executive Order was signed over three months later. Even then, it specifically exempted the Slave States that had not seceded (like Kentucky and Maryland). It also specifically exempted any State that had not seceded or that had been captured by Union troops and any county that had been captured by Union troops. In other words, slavery REMAINED LEGAL in all Slave States and Slave Counties that were under Union control. The only places where slavery became illegal was in those States and Counties that didn't recognize the authority of the US government anyway. So, in actual effect, the Emancipation Proclamation freed exactly zero slaves.Though as the North conquered more territory in the South, slavery immediately became illegal in the new States and Counties conquered. But it was the Union Army, not the Emancipation Proclamation, that conquered those States and Counties.(Some argue that some slaves in already-Union-controlled areas were freed immediately upon the issuance of the executive order, and the estimate of the number of slaves thus freed varies between 20,000 and 50,000. If this is, in fact, the case, then the executive order was, in fact, in direct opposition to the Emancipation Proclamation, which exempted all states or parts of states under Union control. So, once again, the Emancipation Proclamation itself freed no one.)The Emancipation Proclamation, in itself, was totally worthless. Moreover, it was nothing more than a political stunt and one of the most dishonest political acts of American history. It was bait to get the States in Rebellion to rejoin the Union, under the promise that they would be allowed to keep their slaves. It even provided a means by which States in rebellion could prove that they were no longer in rebellion (election of representation of the State in the US Congress was "deemed conclusive evidence"). Yet, Lincoln never intended to let any Southern States keep their slaves. It was a classic "bait and switch". Of course, none of the Southern States fell for it.
What was the reaction of the southern slave owners to the emancipation proclamation?
The slave owners thought that the document's existence was insignificant as far as actually freeing the slaves, but they knew that the slaves have heard of it through grapevine, and feared the the slaves would revolt. In easy terms, the slave owners could care less about the document, and continued on with their lives.
What was Marian Anderson's claim to fame?
Marian Anderson was an African-American singer. Marian's major claim to fame was that she was requested to sing at Lincoln's memorial, by Eleanor Roosevelt.
How does the response to Henry Adams claim reflect the status of slaves post-emancipation?
The response to Henry Adams' claim highlights the ongoing struggles faced by formerly enslaved individuals after emancipation. While legal freedom was achieved, many African Americans encountered systemic racism, economic exploitation, and limited access to education and resources, which hindered their ability to fully integrate into society. This reflects a stark contrast between the promise of emancipation and the harsh realities of life in a post-emancipation America, where true equality and opportunity remained elusive. The response underscores that despite being legally free, former slaves continued to navigate significant social and economic barriers.
What happened on January first 1863?
Abraham Lincoln's father died on that day.
Why was the Battle of Antietam important in the Civil War?
Lincoln's Cabinet persuaded him that the Union needed a victory on the battlefield so that the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation would not seem like a desperation move. By fighting Lee to a standstill, McClellan was able to claim a victory, and Lincoln was able to issue the Proclamation.
What day did Abraham Lincoln say that slavery was over?
January 1, 1863 was the day the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln, stating the slaves were free. The 13th Amendment, added to the US Constitution in 1865, would actually give the force of law to the freedom for the slaves that Lincolns document put forth.
Which description best captures Abraham Lincoln's approach to slavery before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation?
Lincoln focused on returning the seceding states to the Union and ignored the question of Abolition publicly, also aiming to keep the slave-owning boarder states in the fold. He had wanted to announce the Emancipation Proclamation earlier, but his cabinet persuaded him to wait until the North could claim a battlefield victory. With Antietam in the Fall of 1862, Lincoln felt the opportunity had finally presented itself. Even then, he made the effective date January 1, 1863, to give the rebel states a chance to return to the fold before the Proclamation took effect.
What is an example of evidence a historian could use to support a claim about the American civil war?
The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves only in states that had seceded from the union
What statement is an example of evidence a historian could use to support a claim about the American civil war?
The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves only in states that had seceded from the union
Why did Lincoln wait until after the Battle of Antietam to issue the emancipation proclammation?
freeing the slaves
What was more responsible for the onset of war in the US the institution of slavery or the beliefs that states had the right to secede from the union?
It was the second one. The Confederates reasoned that the Union was a collection of states that had joined it voluntarily, and could secede equally voluntarily. People like to claim that the war was caused by slavery. But they should ask themselves why Lincoln felt it necessary to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. In mid-war, he had to turn it into a crusade against slavery, to shame the British and French out of helping the South. That is the surest sign that slavery was not the original cause of the war.
Who was accused of being a radical abolitionist during his debates with stephan Douglas?
It was Abraham Lincoln, who 2 years later was elected the 15th President of the United States and in 1863 the signer of the Emancipation Proclamation. At the time of the debates, Lincoln denied the claim and said that his aim was to prevent the spread of slavery. While he felt that slavery could not be morally justified, he realized the dangers that outlawing slavery would pose. His misgivings were mostly borne out during Reconstruction, after the Civil War and his own death.
What statements is an example of evidence a historian could use to support a claim about the American Civil War?
Answer this question… Former slaves fighting in the Union army were essential to several Northern victories.
What is the controversial fact about the emancipation proclamation?
That it allowed slavery to continue in the four slave-states that had remained loyal. So it could not claim to be the human rights document it was meant to look like. (In fact, it was a tactical device, aimed at shaming Britain out of granting recognition to the Confederates.)
What is the root word of the word proclamation?
The root word of "proclamation" is "claim," which comes from the Latin word "clamare," meaning "to cry out."
