The Emancipation Proclamation

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1

The Emancipation Proclamation

It 's impact on American Culture and History

The Emancipation Proclamation was a document that greatly influenced American history and culture since it was first read by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 , changing the course of an entire war and thus changing the course of the entire nation . African-American history has been influenced by this document , which freed the slaves and helped set America on a path towards equality and freedom for all of its citizens While it would take a long time for

equal rights to be obtained , the origins of the United States as a free , unified nation can be traced back to the Emancipation Proclamation and how it came to be a part of American and Civil War history

The Emancipation Proclamation was a document issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1 , 1863 , during the period when the American Civil War was already underway , tearing apart of the Union . With North divided against the South , the issue of slavery became extremely prominent during the onset of the Civil War . One of the major reasons for the break between the North and the South was , in fact , the issue of slavery , with the majority of Southern states having their economy and their current system dependent upon the "peculiar institution . When the Civil War broke out in the early 1860 's , many slaves were escaping to Union lines and many still were volunteering to fight for the Union . As the policy stood , these slaves would have to be returned to their masters in the Confederacy . President Lincoln faced a challenge : how to keep the public opinion for his presidency and the war up in an era when abolitionists were asking for the freeing of all slaves and the rest of the North seemed to support similar actions . This document helped to unite all of the Americans of the North in one common cause

The ultimate answer for Lincoln was to slowly move towards the complete emancipation of the slaves . He did so in stages , the first being in 1862 when he made it law that any Union officers could not return fugitive slaves . This annulled the fugitive slave laws that were in place at the time . Southern slave owners were angered by the decision and demanded compensation for their lost goods (Emancipation Proclamation President Lincoln answered their anger by passing a law that all Southern slave owners that released their slaves and gave them freedom of their own will would be compensated . A milestone in the freedom of slaves came on April 16 , 1862 when all slaves in the District of Columbia were freed by their masters . This was a huge step for African-American rights because it was the first step towards freedom and equality , two important concepts that have shaped American culture for many years

The importance of the document at the time of it 's creation was that it changed the scope of the Civil War to a war...