The Declaration Of Independence And Freedom In The American Civil War
In his Inaugural Address, Lincoln cautioned the Southern states when he said, “In your hands, my dissatisfied countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war” (“Abraham Lincoln,” The White House). He believed the Union would succeed in the war and “for Lincoln the ‘cargo’ the Union carried was the Principles of the Declaration of Independence: The principles of democracy, liberty, and equality” (United States). With little military experience, Lincoln was presented with a task that would be very tough, but “he was able to analyze situations quickly and make good decisions” (K. Hillstrom, L. Hillstrom, Baker 272). He wanted equality for all and this lead him to issue the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 (“Abraham Lincoln,” The White House). Lincoln proclaimed “by the virtue and power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated states, and parts of states, are, and henceforward shall be free” (“Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation”).…