Lincoln Series Part II: The Emancipation Proclamation

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From Michael Andrews, JMC President

Sunday marked the 99th anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. Why do we honor Lincoln? How can we defend his legacy?

In this week's installment of our Lincoln Series, we take a look at the Emancipation Proclamation. Well into the Civil War, its impact was profound, but not for freeing slaves. Not initially. Read more about it below.
We're taking some time to look at Lincoln's leadership and to remind ourselves of how his actions set our country on course according to our Declaration and Constitution.

Our fundamental founding principle is that "all men are created equal," yet it took the most devastating war in our history to begin the process of realizing that ideal. In this divisive time, it is our history that can ground us and unify us toward the principles we share as Americans.

Be on the look out for Part III in our Lincoln Series. And do let us know what else you would like to see.

Gratefully,
Mike
JMC Historical Series on Lincoln: Part II
Fighting to Realize our Founding Principles: The Emancipation Proclamation and the Start of Slavery's End

We often associate the Civil War with the end of slavery — and for good reason.

But Lincoln's primary goal in going to war was to save the Union, slavery or not. The Emancipation Proclamation ([link removed]) changed the equation.

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861. Though Lincoln morally opposed slavery, he avoided any public comments connecting the war and the rights of slaves. He was concerned more with acting constitutionally and a swift victory to prevent the Union from dissolving.

Once the war began, northern armies refused the service ([link removed]) of black men, in spite of a rush to enlist. The South, on the other hand, took full advantage of slave labor in factories, military hospitals, and other Confederate war efforts.
An Executive Decision
The war raged on with heavy loss of life. In the summer of 1862, Lincoln considered an emancipation proclamation as a consequence of the actions of rebel states. He had other strategic advantages in mind as well:
1. African-Americans (including former slaves) would be allowed to enlist and fight the Confederacy
2. The war would gain moral weight, making the stakes more meaningful.
3. Europe (in particular anti-slavery England and France) would be dissuaded from supporting the South in such a battle over slavery.

Lincoln first announced the proclamation in September 1862 as a warning to the South, should they not surrender and stop the expansion of slavery.

The South continued to rebel, and Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

The Critical Turning Point
While the proclamation freed some slaves, it did not free slaves in the South, and it did not apply to ALL slaves. Allied border states (crucially needed by the North to win the war) were not included as part of the order.
And yet, the Proclamation was a critical turning point for the meaning of the war. The North was no longer merely fighting to regain the South, but also for freedom itself. Frederick Douglass described the Proclamation as a "moral bombshell." ([link removed])

A large number of southern slaves fled to the North when they heard of the proclamation ([link removed]) , and many took up arms against their former masters. The South suffered as it lost its workforce and southerners scrambled to hide their slaves.
The Emancipation Proclamation's Legacy
While the bloody Civil War was far from over, the Emancipation Proclamation was the first step toward the 13th Amendment (ratified in December 1865), which finally freed all slaves.

Lincoln himself knew that the Proclamation would have a lasting impact: ([link removed])

I know very well that the name which is connected with this act will never be forgotten...It is my greatest and most enduring contribution to the history of the war. It is, in fact, the central act of my administration, and the great event of the nineteenth century. — February 1865

In Part III, we'll look at the famed Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's timely response to bloodshed in the fight for liberty.
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The battle for the soul of our nation will be won or lost in our classrooms ™ — Jack Miller

Our history shows we did not always live up to the ideals enshrined in our founding documents. But the way forward is for our citizens to appreciate those ideals, recognize our failures and successes in upholding them, and continue to carry those principles forward. And that is why we believe education is so important.

The Jack Miller Center works to revitalize education in America’s history and its founding principles. Our goal is that every student learns the ideas that informed the founding of our nation so that they may preserve our freedoms for future generations.

Consider a tax-deductible gift to the Jack Miller Center. Your donation, large or small, is an investment in the future of our country—for you, for your children, for your grandchildren.
Donate Today ([link removed])
From the Archives
Allen Guelzo "On Abraham Lincoln"

" ‘The moment I was president,’ sighed Abraham Lincoln in the spring of 1864, people ‘seemed to think . . . I had the power to abolish slavery.’

He didn’t. And despite the demands, the pressure, and even the bullying of abolitionists, politicians, and journalists, he was correct. "

Click Here to Read More >>> ([link removed])

About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.

We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.
www.jackmillercenter.org

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