Emancipation+Proclamation,+1863

Eric Naughton   4/2/09 Emancipation Proclamation Mr. Nolan Pd. 1


 * __ Emancipation Proclamation 1863 __**

**__ Causes for the Document __** The main cause of the Emancipation Proclamation was slavery in the United States. Slavery was also the cause for sectionalism as well as racism between the Union and Confederacy after the secession. Slavery in the southern states was the basis for the economy; this is due to the fact that the slaves were considered property themselves. Another reason for the document was the Fugitive Slave law. The law considered all fugitive slaves that escaped contraband of war. Abolitionist movements during the tension between between the north and south led to arguments such as the Dred Scott case. **__ History of the Document __** The Emancipation Proclamation was a document that abolitionists have wanted for generations. On September 7, 1862 a rally had occurred that wanted emancipation for all slaves. William W. Patton, an abolitionist spoke with President Lincoln and he proclaimed that during peacetime he had no right to emancipate all the slaves. As a war effort during the Civil War President Lincoln was able to announce it. Majority of society was against freedom for slaves and he knew anti-abolitionists would be strongly against the document. President Lincoln went over the plan for the document in 1862 and dicussed how he wanted an Union victory during the Civil War ( Battle of Antietam) so that the support for the document will be strong and reasonable. Sectionalism played a major role in the sides that were taken during slavery. Abolitionists and Anti-Abolitionists had an original conflict involving the situation. These two groups eventually branched out to people who were sided with the Union or the Confederacy during the Civil War. The Union during the Civil War had a main reason to fight in the war for the rejoining of the confederate states. After the document was announced after the Union victory in Antietam, slavery became an inclement for the war. The south was fighting the war for their indifference toward President Lincoln and the northern ideas. The Emancipation Proclamation declared the slaves free due to a necessary war measure. Originally the document freed a small amount of the slaves because majority of the slaves were beyond Confederate lines of defense. President Lincoln proclaimed that he was only able to free the slaves in rebellious areas. The Emancipation Proclamation also allowed for the enrollment of about 200,000 former slaves to fight for the Union. The first order of the document declared the slaves free in September 22,1862. The second order of the proclamation announced the specific states with slaves needed to be freed. the document led to creation of West Virginia. Internationally, the document helped receive popular opinion from the United Kingdom. On a scale of 1-100 I would place the Emancipation Proclamation at 15. Even though the document had one major role, it also led to the turning point for the entire nation. It eventually led to the an amendment to support the document in the hands of government as well as the 14th amendment to guarantee citizenship and 15th amendment to gain suffrage. The Proclamation also helped shape the future society of the United States. The 15th amendment was a result of the idea and the official freedom of all African Americans in the United States. Gaining the right to suffrage was a major right given to for being oppressed for over a century to since the amendment was made and now voting on issues like everyone else in society. On the other hand, African Americans were given there other rights based on the 13th and 14th amendment which were passed by the President and more by Congress and found constitutional and legal by the Supreme Court.
 * __ Controversy for and against the Document __**
 * __ Signifigance of the Document __**
 * __ Scale of the Document __**
 * __ Emancipation Proclamation and the 15th amendment to the U.S. Constitution __**