Question

The Emancipation Proclamation and its Effects

Lincoln Changes his Mind:
Many abolitionists celebrated when the war began. They urged Lincoln to end slavery and punish the
South for starting the war. At first, the President resisted. He knew most northerners did not want to end
slavery. "You... overestimate the number in the country who hold such views," he told one abolitionist.
He feared that any action to emancipate, or free, enslaved African Americans might make the border
states secede. Lincoln said his goal was to restore the Union, even if that meant letting slavery continue.
He stated this very clearly in a letter to abolitionist newspaper publisher Horace Greeley.
"If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would
do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would
do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others
alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery... I do
because I believe it helps to save the Union."
Gradually, Lincoln began to change his mind. He realized how important
slavery was to the South's war effort. He told his Cabinet that he intended to
issue an Emancipation Proclamation. But Cabinet members advised him to wait until after a success on
the battlefield.
Questions:
1. Why did abolitionists celebrate when the war began?
2. Why did Lincoln think the border states would secede?
3. What do you think Lincoln was trying to say in the bolded quote above?

Answer 1

Answers:

1. Abolitionists celebrated when the war began because it meant that the Confederacy had chosen to fight for their right to keep slavery, and that the Union had the chance to end it.

2. Lincoln thought the border states would secede because they were some of the only states that still allowed slavery and had threatened to join the Confederacy if it declared independence.

3. Lincoln was trying to emphasize that the war was being fought not just to preserve the Union, but also to put an end to slavery. He wanted to make sure that everyone understood the importance of this issue, and that it was not just a political dispute.