Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
Signed January 1, 1863
“That is the real issue… It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong — throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time, and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, “You work and toil and earn bread, and I'll eat it.” No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.”
~Abraham Lincoln
Today marks the very first day of 2025, and also, incidentally, the 162 anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation changed the tone of the entire Civil War, for while at its core, the war had always been fought over the issue of slavery, this fact would no longer be avoided, and would now be exposed for the entire nation and world to see.
The slavery debate had enveloped the nation since its founding, and while many of the founding fathers sought to have the evil practice ended, it continued to drag on through the decades that followed. Contrary to the belief that the opposing factions of this debate where geographical (i.e. North v.s. South), the debate and war itself was actually fought by two opposing political factions, namely, the pro-slavery Democratic party (founded by Andrew Jackson), and the Republican party (fathered by Abraham Lincoln), which was created to fight against slavery. The Democratic party possessed a presence in the north and south (the last of which was their greater stronghold) and fought hard to protect and expand slavery, while the Republican party sought check their efforts, and, in turn, work to see the practice ended. The contentions between these two factions became so great, and the country so divided as a result that threats of national separation became prevalent, and finally, seemingly unavoidable (Federer, B.).
The Civil War is one of those dark and tragic chapters of our history, and arguably the worst time in history for our nation as a whole. It was bloody, ferocious, and long war, and greatly devastated the country, costing the lives of over 620,000 Americans. It had started after the southern states began seceding from the Union in protest of Abraham Lincoln’s election to the presidency. Their attempts to do so culminated in what was hoped to be only a manageable revolt/uprising at the Battle of Fort Sumter, in 1861, but unfortunately, despite Lincoln’s attempts to bring it to a swift end, it quickly spiraled out of control and into an ugly, full-blown war (A.B.T.).
The first half of the Civil War did not go well for the Union, as they were met with a series of defeats and failures, and incurred many heavy losses. Lincoln struggled to find military generals strong and determined enough to win the war, and was forced to replace many of his key officers that failed to perform their duty with the strength, grit, and courage that he sought (L.O.C.).
The war finally began to take a decisive turn for the better for the Union after the Battle of Antietam in September, 1862. The battle took place in Sharpsburg, Maryland, during General Robert E. Lee’s attempt to capture the said northern state. It was a fierce conflict that would become the most deadly single-day struggle in U.S. history, with well over 3,500 men killed on both sides, in addition to thousands of other casualties (i.e. killed and wounded). However, the Union came out victorious, which ultimately resulted in a significant boost in its strength that favored Lincoln’s plans (A.B.T.).
Lincoln capitalized on the opportunity created by the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam to bring forward his Emancipation Proclamation. He had proposed the proclamation to the members of his cabinet many months previous, however they voiced strong opposition to it, fearing largely that it would be too drastic and hard to enforce. However, the Union victory Antietam finally helped to change their perspectives, and they gave him their support.
While Lincoln’s proclamation did not completely free all slaves, it took significant steps towards doing so by declaring free all slaves still remaining in captivity in any states that continued in their rebellion against the United States, and additionally allowed blacks to serve in the Union military. At the same time, the proclamation sent a strong message across not only the whole nation, but the entire globe, declaring the intent of the Union and Lincoln to bring a final end to slavery once and for all, and forcing the main cause and driving issue of the war to the forefront. This now made the grounds of the war plain not only to Americans, but to other foreign nations (particularly England and France) that had considered seizing a stake in the war by joining the Confederacy. However, they were not about to join a side fighting to continue slavery, and in the end, opted to abandon their intent to join them. Finally, the proclamation both set the stage for, and prepared Americans to be ready to accept future measures that would end slavery completely (such as the 13th amendment, and other Civil Rights amendments), and protect the rights and freedoms of American citizens of all races (A.B.T.)(N.A.)(History.com).
President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Thus the New Year was born with a monumental new document that would, thanks to the efforts of one of America’s greatest presidents, forever change the course of history, and begin the definitive steps to at last return to the great principles and timeless truths that our beautiful nation was founded on: “All men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
~ 2 Chronicles 7:14
Sources:
A.B.T. American Battlefield Trust. (n.d.) Abraham Lincoln. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/abraham-lincoln
A.B.T. American Battlefield Trust. (n.d.) Fort Sumpter. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/fort-sumter
A.B.T. American Battlefield Trust. (n.d.) Antietam. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/antietam
A.B.T. American Battlefield Trust. (n.d.) 10 Facts: The Emancipation Proclamation. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-emancipation-proclamation
N.A. National Archives. (n.d.) Transcript of the Proclamation. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation/transcript.html
L.O.C. Library of Congress. (n.d.) Timeline of the Civil War. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/static/data/cwp/resources/timeline.html
History.com. (n.d.) Emancipation Proclamation. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation
Federer, B. (2023, July 7.) Slavery versus Anti-Slavery - Not a Black vs White issue but Republican vs Democrat issue - https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/not-black-vs-white-difference-but-republican-vs-democrat-difference-american-minute-with-bill-federer?_pos=2&_sid=15359b040&_ss=r
Abraham Lincoln Online. (n.d.) Selected Quotations on Slavery by Abraham Lincoln. https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/slavery.htm
New King James Version. (1996) Holman Bible Publishers. 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Artwork Citation:
Carpenter, F. B. (1864) First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln [Painting]. United States Capitol, Washington D.C., U.S. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emancipation_proclamation.jpg
