Final answer:
The goal of President Lincoln's executive order was to free enslaved people in Southern states and make ending slavery a goal for the Union. It also aimed at weakening the South's ability to fight and preventing British support of the Confederacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase that best explains the goal of President Lincoln's executive order, commonly known as the Emancipation Proclamation, is likely 'To free enslaved people in Southern states and make ending slavery a goal for the Union' (C). President Lincoln saw emancipation as a military necessity, as it would weaken the South's ability to fight by stripping it of the slave labor that supported its war effort. Additionally, by making the abolition of slavery a war aim, Lincoln could prevent British recognition of the Confederacy, taking advantage of anti-slavery sentiment in Britain and further isolating the South diplomatically.
Lincoln also believed that allowing for gradual emancipation and suggesting possible colonization would encourage pro-Union sentiments in the South, thereby shortening the conflict. However, his earlier efforts to promote loyalty and gradual change in the southern states were not successful, leading him to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. It is important to note that this executive order did not immediately free all enslaved people, but it was a crucial step towards ending slavery and restoring the Union.
To answer another question regarding Lincoln's primary goal immediately following the Civil War, his aim was ‘reunifying the country’ (C). Lincoln's policy initiatives, like the Ten Percent Plan, were designed to reintegrate the Southern states back into the Union as swiftly and smoothly as possible.