Emancipation Proclamation Document Analysis

When most people hear of the Emancipation Proclamation, they tend to believe that it was the document that freed the slaves; however, this document was merely a political ploy by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln issued the document in late 1862, and it took effect on January 1, 1863. When many look at how and when this document was issued, they often neglect to analyze the document using an economic way of thinking. When evaluated this way, Lincoln’s motives and reasoning for the proclamation, the impacts that were made, and the legacy that Lincoln left stray from the common beliefs. Economics can be defined in many ways, but in this case, it is best defined as a study of how people respond to incentives. People respond to incentives in a predictable …show more content…
When Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, he destroyed the idea of a voluntary union. Some consider that “Forcing a state to remain in the union at gunpoint renders that state a conquered province, not a genuine partner” (DiLorenzo). The issue became a fight of voluntary exchange versus involuntary exchange. Voluntary actions tend to be in the benefit of a person, or in this case, a state. The states no longer wanted to be a part of the Union, and therefore, they voluntarily left. Lincoln forced them to rejoin against their will and this caused more turmoil and tension within the states and the new, reunited America. On a more positive note, look at the impact of how the North gained human capital. Human capital is a factor of production in the economy and is scarce (“51 Key”). When Lincoln wrote the emancipation policy, it gave the Union the control over the freed slaves in the territory that was regained. Over the course of the war “180,000 of them [freed slaves and free blacks] fought in the Union army and 10,000 in the navy, making a vital contribution to Union victory as well as their own freedom” (“Emancipation”). Additionally, many of the freed blacks were vulnerable to experiencing social harassment. Social Harassment is when people avoid certain actions because the cost of harassment was greater than the benefits they receive from the action. The freed people had to worry about their own defense from the Confederates that did not agree with the proclamation. In the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln warns that “the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence”. He knew that the proclamation would put lives at risk, but he warned the people to continue with their new ways of life and to try and get jobs that would pay (Emancipation