ipl-logo

Emancipation Proclamation A Turning Point Essay

638 Words3 Pages

Jakhari Richardson
Professor Parten
U.S. A Comprehensive Survey
May 2023
The Emancipation Proclamation: A Pivotal Turning Point in American History

Throughout the course, we have explored numerous historical events that have had a profound impact on the United States. However, one turning point stands out as the most important in American history—the Emancipation Proclamation. This executive order, issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, holds immense significance due to its role in the abolition of slavery, its influence on the nation's moral fabric, and its lasting effects on the evolution of the United States as a nation.

The Emancipation Proclamation announced on January 1, 1863, declared "that all persons held as slaves" within Confederate territory "are, and henceforward shall be free." By effectively freeing slaves in the rebellious states, it fundamentally altered the course of the Civil War. Lincoln's proclamation shifted the primary focus of the war from preserving the Union to an active pursuit of liberty and justice for all Americans. This turning point played a pivotal role in shaping the United States by officially ending the institution of slavery and setting the stage for the eventual ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. …show more content…

By taking a clear stance against the institution of slavery, it laid the groundwork for a national narrative that prioritized equality and freedom. The proclamation exposed the hypocrisy of a nation that espoused liberty while simultaneously allowing millions of enslaved individuals to suffer. As a result, it propelled the United States towards a greater recognition of human rights, inspiring future generations to fight for social justice and

Show More
Related

  • Why Did Andrew Jackson Introduce The Election Of 1828

    289 Words  | 2 Pages

    During his two terms in office, President Jackson would not only implement a series of policies that drastically expanded slavery, but he would also create a pro-slavery sentiment in America that would reverberate for many generations after his final term in office. In the first part of this essay, I will introduce the election of 1828. In the second part of this essay, I will attempt to explain why Andrew Jackson's arrival to the presidential Mansion had such a profound effect on Southern secession. The election of 1824 was a pivotal moment in American history.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

    882 Words  | 4 Pages

    ’s Thesis was centered around the idea that Lincoln viewed emancipation as “a goal to be achieved through prudential means, so that worthwhile consequences might result.” He argued that every gradual step Lincoln took towards the abolition of slavery was done to “balance the integrity of ends with the integrity of means,” to accomplish this while still placing the constitution above all of his personal opinions. Guelzo then presented and answered four questions that he believed arose as a result of his prudence argument; why is the language of the Proclamation bland, did the Proclamation actually do anything, did the slaves free themselves, and finally did Lincoln issue the Proclamation to only to prevent European intervention or inflate Union morale? In response to the first, Guelzo makes the point that the Proclamation was a legal document, and that “every syllable was liable to… legal

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    149 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Emancipation Proclamation was issued in September 1862. It was President Lincoln's idea during the Civil War. The policy give slaves in the southern states their freedom. It went into affect in January, 1863. Since the slaves were now free, the police invited them to join the northern troupes.

    Read More

  • Slavery Ethos Pathos Logos

    1098 Words  | 5 Pages

    These words captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of Americans, and fundamentally transformed the character of the Civil War. This document became a milestone along the path to end slavery. President Lincoln’s decision to end slavery was influenced by a century of debate and influence from public figures like Douglass, Thoreau, and numerous politicians who were committed

    Read More

  • How Did The Gettysburg Address The Emancipation Proclamation

    943 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shortly after the battle at Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, which freed all the slaves in the rebellious states. Even though Lincoln once maintained that the Civil War was the struggle to save the Union and not to save or destroy slavery, he came to regard the emancipation to be one of his greatest achievement and would later argue for the passage of the constitutional amendment outlawing slavery. This is known as the 13th Amendment that was eventually passed after his

    Read More

  • Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation In 1863

    76 Words  | 1 Pages

    Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation in 1863 declared “all persons held as slaves…shall be free,” which granted Black Americans a necessity they had not had before, freedom. This significantly improved Black American’s lives as it meant they were able to marry, own property and move freely between states. This was a definite improvement as Black Americans had not had this opportunity before. Without the President Lincoln having issued the proclamation, this would not have been put into effect.

    Read More

  • Essay On Abraham Lincoln's Second Emancipation Proclamation

    405 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln made a second Emancipation Proclamation. On September 22nd, 1862, after the battle of Antietam he issued a opening Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free. This is when the Union Army gave freed slaves “Forty Acres and a Mule”. Then General Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, in Virginia which put an end to the Civil War. After the Civil War most of the South was destroyed so Abraham Lincoln made a plan called “reconstruction” that later turns into “Reconstruction Act of 1867”.

    Read More

  • Lincoln A House Divided Analysis

    430 Words  | 2 Pages

    The existential crisis in America had almost everything to do with slavery. Controversial decisions were made that shook the public along with government officials. The Missouri Compromise took a massive blow from the Kansas-Nebraska act and left anti-slavery politicians in an outrage. Even some Democrats found themselves opposing it on the basis that it destroyed popular sovereignty. Next, the Dred Scott court decision set an outstanding precedence for slaveholders.

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    956 Words  | 4 Pages

    In September of 1862, after a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation was released to the public New York Evening Post Editor, William Cullen Bryant editorialized: "Its puts us right before Europe.. It brings back our traditions; it animates our soldiers with the same spirit which led our forefathers to victory under Washington; they are fighting today, as the Revolutionary patriots fought, in the interests of the human race..” Abolitionists rejoiced at the Proclamation, for it finally showed a glimpse of a possibility that one day slavery in the United Sates of America would be non-existent. However, in Eric Coker’s article, Acclaimed historian discusses Lincoln and slavery, he states

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    901 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although the Emancipation Proclamation had its many immediately felt constraints for the enslaved people, it also led many of these enslaved people to the armed services of the union. Since the war to save the union was seemingly becoming the war to free the slaves as well, the support for the union side was increasing. This increase in union support helped progress the war in favor of the union; just as the president had hoped initially. Embracing the proclamation was something blacks of all communities were celebrating. Especially in the southern states now controlled by the union, the formerly enslaved people were celebrating and gathering in the name of the proclamation.

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    1485 Words  | 6 Pages

    Issued by President Lincoln and put into place on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation states "that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free" (National Archives). When most Americans think of who freed the slaves, they think of President Lincoln. Although he was ultimately the one who freed them, we should not forget about the other people who also fought for African Americans. Many American fought long before Licoln's presidency.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of The Emancipation Proclamation On The Civil War

    855 Words  | 4 Pages

    Despite these limitations, the Emancipation Proclamation had a profound impact on American society. It marked a turning point in the fight for civil rights and paved the way for the end of slavery. It also changed the focus of the Civil War and helped the Union Army to ultimately defeat the Confederacy. The Proclamation had a lasting legacy, inspiring future generations in the fight for civil rights. It remains one of the most important documents in American

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Essay

    764 Words  | 4 Pages

    Somebody once remarked, “No man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent” (“Abraham Lincoln Quotes"). At the initial view, the Civil War was going to be won by the South. Nonetheless, all that changed when Abraham Lincoln constructed the Emancipation Proclamation because it did not solely free slaves, it further altered antiquity for the salutary and assisted the North in the war, which led to their triumph. The Emancipation Proclamation was Abraham Lincoln’s greatest achievement as president.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

    869 Words  | 4 Pages

    On September 2nd, 1862, Abraham Lincoln famously signed the Emancipation Proclamation. After that, there’s been much debate on whether Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation truly played a role in freeing the slaves with many arguments opposing or favoring this issue. In Vincent Harding’s essay, The Blood-red Ironies of God, Harding argues in his thesis that Lincoln did not help to emancipate the slaves but that rather the slaves “self-emancipated” themselves through the war. On the opposition, Allen C Guelzo ’s essay, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, argues in favor of the Emancipation Proclamation and Guelzo acknowledges Lincoln for the abolishment of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Abolition Of Slavery

    2830 Words  | 12 Pages

    The total Abolition of slavery, which was supported by the majority of the American population, lead to other events such as: the reconstruction of the country, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan know as the KKK’s, the migration patterns, some new types of discriminations, and consequently the number of black’s who

    Read More

More about Emancipation Proclamation A Turning Point Essay

Open Document