The freeing of the slaves

For about 400 years blacks were slaves, they were treated poorly and mostly no rights. They were forced to work for white men, laboring for them. Abraham Lincoln, president at the time signed in to action the emancipation proclamation, which freed the slaves. He stated in the paper that "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, and thenceforward, and forever, free;" (Lincoln)

Lincoln is often praised for freeing the slaves. It allowed for much progress, eventually leading to equality of everyone regardless of sex or race. Many do not know why the proclomation was written and the intent behind it. "Five days after the battle, on September 22, the President issued his preliminary proclamation, declaring that if the South persisted in its rebellion, all the slaves of the rebels would be free on January 1, 1863."(Page Smith) He was really using the proclomation as leverage to get the south to stop rebelling.
Along with using freed slaves as leverage , he also stated that  "The Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States."(Lincoln)

Lincoln also knew that if he freed the slaves, they would inturn think increasingly highly of him and be more inclined to join the military.The Reverend S. M. Chase presented the Bible to the President, declaring, "Since our incorporation into the American family we have been true and loyal, and we are now ready to aid in defending the country, to be armed and trained in military matters, in order to assist in defending the star spangled banner." And as the quote shows, they did indeed want to join the military. This would explain why in the proclomation he stated "And I further declare and make known that such persons, of suitable conditions, will be received into the armed service of the United States, to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service." (Lincoln)

Although Lincoln spurred a movement for equality, his original intentions were not to bring true freedom to blacks. It is a great wonder that the proclamation, being used as a military tactic turned out to be such a great thing.



Citations

Smith, Page. "Emancipation Proclamation Background Information." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. http://www.civilwarhome.com/emancipationbackground.htm.

 

Lincoln, Abraham. "Emancipation Proclimation." Digital History. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=143>.