Final answer:
Southern whites, particularly Confederate leaders, were outraged by Lincoln's preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, seeing it as an attack on their way of life and economy. The proclamation affirmed the North's commitment to ending slavery and altered the nature of the Civil War to include the abolition of slavery as a central war aim.
Step-by-step explanation:
Southern whites reacted vehemently to Lincoln's preliminary announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. Confederate leaders interpreted the announcement as a direct attack on their society and economy, which relied heavily on enslaved labor. Predictably, they raged against the proclamation, reinforcing their resolve to continue the Civil War in order to maintain the institution of slavery. The proclamation was seen as a punishment targeting the rebel states and stirred fears among southerners that it could incite slave uprisings. Beyond the South's immediate reaction, the Emancipation Proclamation signaled a major shift in the Union's war aims, contributing to a growing understanding that the Civil War was now explicitly a fight against slavery as well as a fight to preserve the Union.