Emancipation Proclamation Pros And Cons

The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 to abolish the institution of slavery and for the preservation of the Union. Ultimately, Lincoln freed the slaves in order to weaken the Southern resistance, in doing this it would in turn strengthen the Federal government, as well as encourage the free black men to fight in the Union army, leading to the preserving of the Union. The document declared “ that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free” (The Emancipation Proclamation). Lincoln believed that freeing the slaves would provide an advantage for the North in two aspects; economically and politically. Economically,

With the Emancipation Proclamation still intact President Lincoln announced the freeing of all the slaves in the areas that were not under Union control. Though all the slaves were not free, the proclamation itself pushed Congress to eventually pass the thirteenth amendment in 1865. The amendment, was later ratified in 1865 stating “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude..shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (13th Amendment to the U.S Constitution). Lincoln understood there needed to be a reconstruction plan and therefore established the Ten Percent Plan. Essentially, he issued a proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction for the south. The proclamation would forgive the Confederates for seceding from the Union, if they swear their allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and to the Union as well. Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan would recognize the state if ten percent of the voting population who were former Confederates became loyal, thus granting them the ability to organize a new state constitution and government (Oakes, 482). He wanted to bring forth unity he states “…with malice toward none; with charity for all” to achieve “a just and lasting peace”(Abraham Lincoln Second Inaugural Address 1865). Lincoln’s priority’s did not include black civil rights, but he still believed that they should receive fair treatment. Although the Emancipation Proclamation abolished the legality of slavery it brought forth discrimination and segregation during the reconstruction era. As much as the proclamation aided the slaves in the Civil War it didn’t do much during reconstruction. After the war ended the blacks were forgotten about as the country tried to heal from the major loss and the North and South were trying to become unified again. Before Lincoln’s death he made many concessions to the South, however, extremist Southern states