The Great Emancipator Analysis

The American Civil War marked a period in United States history, in which Americans endured exceedingly onerous ethical and political issues. During the presidential election of 1860, Republican Abraham Lincoln declared his opposition to the expansion of slavery. Lincoln’s policies threatened southern ideology; slavery was the catalyst for economic prosperity in the south. Even before Lincoln’s official inauguration into presidency on March 4, 1861, Southern states began to succeed from the Union forging their own pro-slavery Confederacy. The Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 between two opposing forces, the Confederate South and the Union North. Despite the grim prospects threatening the country, Americans of all races, choose to articulate …show more content…
It is important to note that the Great Emancipator himself did not enter the war as an abolitionist; he alternately had deliberated various different arrangements to end slavery. For example, Lincoln had recommended his own colonization proposal, calling for the relocation African-Americans out of the United States and into Iberia. Many black abolitionists refuted this relocation plan, stating that: “to pull up states in a civilized and Christian nation and go to an uncivilized and barbarous nation…to gratify an unnatural wicked prejudice emanating from slavery, is unreasonable and anti-Christian in the extreme.” When this proposal was refused, Lincoln rose to the challenge and slowly transformed into a consistent abolitionist. The Emancipation Proclamation was authorized and signed during the third year of the Civil War on January 1, 1863. This executive order declared, “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious (Confederate) states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” Although the Emancipation took effect in 1863 the year was neither entirely devoted to joys or grievance; instead both were present as the war raged on. The Emancipation Proclamation holds a more symbolic rather than actual significance for abolition; Lincoln had only “freed” the slaves in Confederate states. Lincoln had no substantial authority over these states since their secession from the Union. Statistics estimates that there were approximately 3.9 million African-Americans enslaved during 1860. While by the end of the Civil War in 1865, notwithstanding the Emancipation Proclamation, approximately 3.4 million African-Americans remained enslaved. Despite, this notion Lincoln’s order succeeded in instilling hope and renewed courage into the hearts of enslaved African-Americans. This was achieved through the proclamation’s symbolic significance: “There