Background info. 1.Abolitionists constantly demanded that Lincoln emancipate (free) the slaves. 2. Support for the war is declining---difficult to keep convincing people to preserve the Union. Lincoln: “I don’t have the power to free the slaves---only a constitutional amendment can do this!” Lincoln: “We need a major victory in the East to show the people that we CAN win.” So far, most of the victories have been in the West. The Union has suffered some humiliating defeats in the East, which is the focus of attention. For most people in the North, the war seem to be going very badly and some are questioning whether or not the Union should keep on fighting.

Lincoln’s views on the war and slavery up to early Lincoln hates slavery, BUT he loves the union even more. His main objective is to save the union and bring the South back. The issue of slavery is second to him, meaning that he’s willing to put up with if it means that the South will come back. "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union...”

By The Summer Of 1862 After so many bloody battles like Shiloh, Seven Days Battles, and Second Bull Run, Lincoln begins to change his mind about the war and the issue of slavery. Too much blood has been spilled and Lincoln realizes that things can’t go back to the way they were, meaning that even if the South comes back, we should no longer have slavery. The war now, according to Lincoln, is to not only save the Union, it’s to change and improve the Union. This is why he starts to thing about “emancipation” and actually wrote the Emancipation Declaration in September of ** This is also why he will later on pressures Congress into passing the 13th Amendment, which abolishes slavery.

The Emancipation Proclamation Issued on September 22, 1862, after the Union “victory” at Antietam---because the proclamation was controversial, Lincoln needed some good news in order to get public support. Again, Lincoln didn’t have the authority to end slavery-that would take a constitutional amendment! Used his powers as commander in chief to issue the proclamation because war allows Lincoln to use “emergency powers” of the president. Thus, it only applied to the states in the CSA because they were “at war” with the Union.

Went into effect (became law) on January 1, “Freed” the slaves in the states that were in rebellion----basically freed the slaves in the CSA. Will the CSA obey this law? Did not free any slaves in the “border states.” The Emancipation Proclamation Remember, the border states were slave states that still remained loyal to the Union, hence, they were not at “war” with the Union. As a result, Lincoln’s war powers didn’t apply to them.

According to the Emancipation Proclamation, if the slaves could escape to the North or reach areas that were controlled by the Union army, they would be freed.

Why Lincoln Issued the Emancipation Proclamation 1.It weaken the CSA by encouraging slaves to run away. CSA needed the slaves for their plantation, as well as for workers to help their army (cook food, dig trenches, carry supplies, etc.). 2. Discouraged Europe from helping the CSA: Europe had already abolished slavery and saw it as an evil. Britain and France didn’t want to openly go against the Union, which was now declaring that it was fighting against slavery. 3. Gave the war a “noble” cause: fighting not just to bring the South back, but to end slavery.

Before and After Emancipation Proclamation Purpose: Save the Union Purpose: Save the Union AND end slavery