CivilWarWikiMaggio

Emancipation Proclamation

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, during the third year of the Civil War. The proclamation stated "that all persons held as slaves" in the confederate states "shall be free." Many people believed that Lincoln was a little bit of a coward because it took so long for him to sign the document. The proclamation was just sitting on his desk for months waiting to be signed. Lincoln felt that the mission of the Civil War was to reunite the Union, additionally the war included the ending of slavery. Lincoln believed in what is right and he knew that signing this proclamation would be the right thing to do because he did not think slavery was right. Many people believe that this decision to free the slaves was an easy decision and didn't understand what was taking Lincoln so long. The Emancipation Proclamation was not an easy decision for Lincoln to make because he was unsure as to what it would lead to. The results of the document could have gone great like instantly ended the war or it could have probably lead to bigger problems. Problems like the South enlisting blacks into their army and if this happened the war could have turned out a lot different. Lincoln used the Emancipation Proclamation as an act to end the war. The Emancipation Proclamation encouraged the newly freed slaves to enlist in the army and help the North fight against the South. The proclamation had influenced almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors to fight for the Union and for their freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation was a huge achievement on the road to ending slavery. This is why Lincoln is known as "Lincoln-the-Emancipator."

media type="youtube" key="zt65UV6Fspc" width="560" height="315"

**Photos:**

"Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation with a New EBook." NARAtions. 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .

"The Emancipation Proclamation." Featured Documents. National Archives & Record Adminstration. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .

"Forever Free: 150th Anniversary Of The Emancipation Proclamation." Here Now RSS. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .

"The Role of Slaves and Abolitionists in Securing the Emancipation Proclamation | Www.socialism.com." The Role of Slaves and Abolitionists in Securing the Emancipation Proclamation | Www.socialism.com. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .

**Text:**

"The Emancipation Proclamation." Featured Documents. National Archives & Record Adminstration. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .

**Video:**

"History in Five: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation." YouTube. YouTube, 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .