Legal Definitions - Emancipation Proclamation

Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was a pivotal executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. On January 1, 1863, it formally declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states and parts of states then in rebellion against the Union were legally free. This proclamation transformed the nature of the war, adding the abolition of slavery as a central Union objective, alongside preserving the nation.

• Example 1: Imagine an enslaved woman named Sarah working on a cotton plantation in Mississippi in late 1862. When news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached her community in early 1863, it meant that, legally, she and others held in bondage in that Confederate state were now considered free by the United States government.

  This illustrates the Emancipation Proclamation by showing its direct application to individuals held in slavery within the designated rebellious territories, declaring their freedom even before Union troops might physically arrive to enforce it.

• Example 2: Following the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Union Army began to actively recruit African American men, including many who had escaped slavery, to serve as soldiers. Regiments like the 54th Massachusetts Infantry were formed, composed of these newly recognized free men.

  This example demonstrates how the Proclamation not only declared freedom but also paved the way for formerly enslaved individuals to participate directly in the fight for their own liberation and the Union cause, fundamentally altering the composition and moral standing of the Union forces.

• Example 3: Great Britain, a major European power, had a strong abolitionist movement and was considering recognizing the Confederate States of America. After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, it became politically untenable for Britain to support the Confederacy, as doing so would mean aligning with a cause explicitly fighting to maintain slavery.

  This illustrates the Emancipation Proclamation's significant international impact, transforming the American Civil War into a moral crusade against slavery in the eyes of the world and making it difficult for foreign powers to intervene on behalf of the Confederacy.