The Emancipation Proclamation :: essays research papers

The Emancipation Proclamation     The emancipation proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1,1863, during the American Civil War, declaring all "slaves within any State, ordesignated bump of a State... then... in rebellion,... shall be then,thenceforward, and forever free." The states affected were enumerated in theproclamation specifically exempted were slaves in parts of the South then heldby Union armies. Lincolns publication of the Emancipation Proclamation marked aradical change in his policy.     After out break of the Civil War, the slavery issue was made sharp-worded bythe flight to Union lines of large numbers of slaves who volunteered to fightfor there freedom and that of there fellow slaves. In these circumstances, astrict application of effected policy would have required return of ephemeralslaves to their masters.     Abolitionists had long been urging Lincoln to free all slaves, andp ublic opinion suported that view. Lincoln moved belatedly and cautiously nonetheless on March 13, 1862, the federal government fforbade all Union Army officersto return fugitive slaves, thus annulling in effect the fugitive slave laws. OnApril 10, on Lincolns initiative, congress declared the federal governmentwould compenste slave owners who freed their slaves. All slaves in the Districtof Columbia were freed in this way on April 16, 1862 . On June 19, 1862,Congress enacted a measure prohibiting slavery in United States territories,thus defying the supreme court decision in the Dred Scott case, which ruled thatCongress was uneffective to regulate slavery in the territories.     Finaly, after the union victory in the battle of antietam, Lincolnissued a preliminary proclamation on September 22, declaring his aim ofpromulgating another proclamathion in 100 days, freeing the slaves in the statesdeemed in rebellion at that time.