President Lincoln: The Reluctant Emancipator
Abstract
In July 1862, President Lincoln presented a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet. With their general approval he waited patiently for a Union victory so he could proclaim emancipation after a momentous event. General McClellan's "victory' at Antietam in September 1862 provided the opportunity and the President used the occasion to issue the proclamation. He further stated it would go into effect in approximately one hundred days unless the states then in rebellion peacefully returned to the Union. The effects were far reaching. As Union armies surged into the interior of the Confederacy, slaves fled their masters and deprived the South of essential farm workers, potential soldiers and military laborers. Additionally, the proclamation virtually ensured that Great Britain would never recognize the Confederate States of America. While these two benefits are most certainly true, the preceding facts fail to show that there was a political battle to initiate emancipation prior to President Lincoln's cabinet meeting in July 1862.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA441827
Entities
People
- Joseph E. Martz
Organizations
- National War College