The Influence Of The Emancipation Proclamation

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“The African American turned the tide of the war” (Lincoln). Without the help of African Americans, the Union would have lacked the manpower and could potentially have lost the war. Lincoln’s strategic announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation earned much support for the Northern forces. The Emancipation Proclamation was a political-military strategy that enabled the enlistment of colored men, focused the war on slavery, prevented the involvement of foreign nations, and ultimately secured victory for the Union.
The Emancipation Proclamation was declared following the Union’s win at Antietam. By making this “freedom statement” after a much needed win, Lincoln rallied support for his army and gave them a boost in both morale and numbers. In addition, the document declared all slaves free in the rebelling states so he could avoid having the border states secede. Along with the freedom of slaves, African Americans were now allowed to fight in the war. This decision placed the Southern forces at a disadvantage because the North was gaining more troops. Moreover, the statement of freedom made slavery a focal point in the war.
African Americans joined the ranks of the Union, but were still not equal to their white counterparts. The following quote represents the inequality between Union soldiers, “Black soldiers
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Due to the fact that the Confederacy saw themselves as their own country, they did not see Lincoln’s authority over them and so they did not free any slaves. In his writing, Lincoln was careful to appease the border states, cause tension with the South, and keep other nations out of the war. The South was an interest to foreign countries because of their potential to expand West. At this point, Lincoln realized he needed to make the outsiders disinterested so he acted quickly and announced the document after a Union