“All persons held as slaves within any States, or designated part of the State, the people whereof shall be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, henceforward, and forever free,” quoted Abraham Lincoln in the Emancipation Proclamation. Little did everyone know that piece of paper and the important words on it would change history. Things would never be the same as they were before. The Emancipation Proclamation was a necessity because it helped ensure freedom for any type of slave but more aimed towards African Americans to have the opportunity to live freely in the United States of America.
Some background regarding the emancipation proclamation was that it was issued January 1, 1863, by President Lincoln during the Civil War. It was also known as the “Proclamation 95” before the name was changed.
In July of 1682 after General George McClellan's failed campaign, Congress passed two pieces of legislation which were the Militia Act of 1862 and Confiscation Act. The Militia Act of 1862 gave President Lincoln the authority to employ African Americans in any type of military capacity in which he saw fit. While the Confiscation Act, Section 6 explained that Congress gave the president the authority to cease to confiscate all property of persons, states, and rebellion which included slaves. Both of those pieces helped play a role in creating the Emancipation Proclamation regarding what President Lincoln was allowed to do and his limits.
September 22, 1862, after the Battle of Anitiem President Lincoln, issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In the writing, it included that he was warning the states in development that if they did not lay down their weapons and return the Union in the 100 day period. He was going to declare their slaves free on January 1st. In order for the Emancipation Proclamation to commence there were certain conditions that had to be met.
The states in the rebellion still had to be in the rebellion after January 1, 1863.
The rebellion had to be suppressed on January 1st.
In conclusion, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and was quoted to be a fit and necessary war measure for ending the rebellion and preserving the Union. President Lincoln declared forever free all people held as slaves in the certain 10 states that were at war with the United States for their independence. However, there were 5 states that it did not apply to because Congress did not give him the authority to seize property and declare free slaves that were loyal to the Union. It was only for the states in rebellion and needed to be brought back to the Union. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation became a war for a new birth of freedom in the United States of America. The proclamation declared, “that all persons held as slaves,” within the rebellious states “are and henceforward shall be free.”
Looking later and how the Emancipation Proclamation held freed slaves it was only a small amount, but it helped bring awareness to slavery in the United States and an uproar. This helped lead to the idea of ratification of the 13th amendment to the Constitution and finally end slavery in the United States of America. Overall, the Emancipation Proclamation was the beginning spark introducing the new perspective of freedom and still inspires people today.
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Sources:
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation
https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation
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