The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation, also known as the Emancipation Order, or Emancipation Proclamation 95, has become one of American history’s most critical epics. It was a presidential proclamation and written order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 22, 1863, during the Civil War.
The Emancipation Proclamation is also one of the three official presidential documents that formally freed the slaves in the free states from slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation officially ended slavery in the United States. On this day, all slaves who had been put in prison, in chains, or the act of involuntary servitude were immediately released. This was done as a goodwill gesture to the men and women of the United States for having aided and had supported the efforts of the Union forces in the Civil War, especially in the Southern States.
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation just hours after the free states’ cessation of the Civil War. At the time, Lincoln was under house arrest due to his role as the head of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, and those who sided with him during the Civil War were rounded up and kept in jail. To appease the slave-holding states, Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation to them on this day. He believed that it was his duty as a president to free the slaves, and he thought it was his duty as a symbol of justice for the people to do so.
The Emancipation Proclamation was the first step toward an all-encompassing Emancipation Act, which would free all slaves in all fifty states of the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t specify how many were to be released, but Lincoln’s order was to free all people in any state where white people directly violated the law. The Emancipation Proclamation caused further unrest in the slave states of the deep South because they felt like they had been victimized. On this day, Lincoln was quoted as saying, “We’re now treating every man alike; for, in all probability, we shall soon labor like men.” After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, slavery came to a head again in the war.
The United States Congress eventually ignored the Emancipation Proclamation. The Civil War had ended, but the war continued to take a considerable toll on the nation’s economy and the lives of millions of people across the country. Millions of black Americans were left homeless. Many others lost their loved ones or their homes and were forced to work for pennies on the dollar in virtually slave-planting labor. For many people in the economically struggling south, the Emancipation Proclamation served as a wake-up call to fight for their rights.
The Emancipation Proclamation has come under fire from many historians and civil rights activists in modern times. They claim that the Emancipation Proclamation was nothing more than an attempt by the federal government to quell any rebellious behavior on the part of slaves regarding their bondage. Some claim that the Emancipation Proclamation was a cold-hearted display by Lincoln, which only added to blacks’ hardships. Still, other supporters of the Emancipation Proclamation maintain that it was a wise measure taken by the U.S. President to free black Americans from a life of slavery.
The Emancipation Proclamation officially ended the practice of slavery in the United States. However, on several occasions throughout the years, the tradition of slavery by African Americans was revived. For example, in 1838, the Mississippi State legislature passed a bill stating that all blacks born in the state would be considered free in all respects. In reaction, some southern white women ran to New Orleans to aid the slaves of the New Orleans freedmen. In other areas of the nation, including Texas, some whites began to free black Americans who were ill or disabled. The Emancipation Proclamation did nothing to end slavery in the United States.
The Emancipation Proclamation has become a controversial issue over the years. Many people believe that Lincoln was trying to appease his white Northern critics and get them to side with the Union cause during the Civil War (which they did). On the other hand, some historians believe that Lincoln was right about attempting to end the practice of slavery. After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, over 100 free blacks were put on trains and shipped across the country to various slave plantations in the South. These “stripes” weren’t allowed to leave until all of their debts had been paid. As a result, many of these “strips” became dissatisfied and returned to their former place of residence, often disguising themselves as free men.
The Emancipation Proclamation is still controversial today. One of its most prominent supporters, including Abraham Lincoln, has claimed that the Emancipation Proclamation was illegal according to the United States Constitution. The proclamations were later declared null and void by the U.S. Congress. Congress replaced it with a much more formalized system of white slavery, but Lincoln and some of his associates argue that this wasn’t a wise move for the future nation.
