Abraham Lincoln Issues Emancipation proclamation

In September 1862, US President Abraham Lincoln delivered an opening Emancipation Proclamation which stated that all the slaves who had participated in revolt contrary to the Union should then be freed forever. Lincoln’s declaration only applied to the Confederacy slaves and not those in the bordering states who had remained dedicated to the Union.

President Abraham Lincoln was hesitant to declare the Emancipation Proclamation, following the issue of earlier slavery since he feared that bordering slave countries might be tempted to join the Confederacy. As time went by, Lincoln prudently approached the abolition subject, and when he acquired support gained adequate confidence until he fully issued the proposition to Confederates. Abraham Lincoln declared Emancipation Proclamation when the confederates failed to respond to his proposal (History.com Editors, 2019).

Besides, the president became hesitant since the proclamation was not defined by the state laws but was just a presidential order. He advocated for antislavery adjustment in the Constitution to warrant its perpetuity. After issuing the proclamation, Lincoln supporting the Confederacy would be seen as supporting slavery; therefore, other countries like France and Great Britain couldn’t participate on behalf of the southern states although they had been friendly to Confederacy.

Southern countries believed that European rulers would support them, but there were a couple of events that overpowered their anticipations. France anticipated to take advantage of the political conflicts to set up new empires in the United States, but their effort to come up from the southern part ended since Mexico City overpowered them. Expectations were switched to Great Britain to help the Confederacy, they purchased barrier ships, and with Great Britain banning slavery in 1833 and Emancipation Proclamation, the European to support Confederacy was terminated (History.com Editors, 2019).

References

History.com Editors. (2019, September 18). Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation. Retrieved from History: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-issues-emancipation-proclamation