The Emancipation Proclamation

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During the summer of 1862, Abraham Lincoln brought up the idea of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet. His goal was to weaken the Confederate government’s war efforts and end the war. The proclamation freed slaves in rebelling states to weaken their army but did not touch slavery in loyal states so they would not join the rebellion. Although Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, he released the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation to the public three months before, on September 22, 1862. He decided to do this in advance to soften the surprise, test public opinion, and allow Confederate states a chance to preserve slavery by returning to the Union. Releasing the preliminary proclamation served as a warning for everyone about what would soon come.

The Civil War was not intended to be over slavery, so when the Emancipation Proclamation came into the picture, Lincoln thought he should release it early so that the change in the war would not take many by surprise. Although Republicans were the ones to push emancipation on Lincoln, Democrats were still wary abo...

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