Final answer:
Lincoln hesitated to issue the Emancipation Proclamation due to concerns over political backlash, timing, and practical enforcement. He waited for a Union victory before announcing it to strengthen its impact and position it as a military necessity and moral imperative against slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Abraham Lincoln hesitated to issue a wartime proclamation emancipating slaves because of multiple considerations. He feared the prospect of immediate emancipation on several fronts, such as alienating the Border States, causing unrest among Northern Democrats who supported a limited war aim, and racial tensions over the integration of a large number of freed slaves into society. Additional concerns included the military strategy of not seeming weak to the Confederacy or international observers, and the practical issue of whether the Southern states would adhere to any proclamation from the Union President.
Lincoln's hesitation can also be attributed to the strategic timing of political and military actions. He waited for a significant Union victory, ensuring that the proclamation was seen not as an act of desperation, but rather as one of strength. The pivotal moment came after the Battle of Antietam, when Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, declaring that slaves in rebelling states were "henceforth and forever free."
The proclamation was seen as both a military necessity and a strategic move to add a moral cause to the Union war effort, potentially discouraging British support for the Confederacy due to the UK's anti-slavery stance. It was also a step toward implementing Lincoln’s view of a preserved Union that no longer condoned slavery, although he approached the subject cautiously and sought a balance that would not tear the already fractured nation apart.