Question

In the Emancipation Proclamation, who does Lincoln seem to be talking to, and what is his central idea? Include text evidence in your response.

a) Addressing the Confederacy; central idea is abolition.

b) Speaking to the Union soldiers; central idea is unity.

c) Communicating with European nations; central idea is diplomacy.

d) Appealing to the Northern states; central idea is preservation of the Union.

Answer 1

In the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln primarily addresses the Confederacy and emphasizes the preservation of the Union through the strategy of emancipation as a war measure. He also indirectly communicates with European nations, like Great Britain, to prevent their recognition of the Confederacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

When examining the Emancipation Proclamation, the central idea seems to be the preservation of the Union by introducing emancipation as a strategic war measure. Abraham Lincoln appears to address multiple stakeholders, but the document primarily speaks to the Confederacy and indirectly to European nations, particularly Great Britain, to prevent international recognition of the Confederacy. Text evidence that supports this understanding can be found in Lincoln's own words, "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it, and if I could save the Union by freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." This indicates that Lincoln's main concern was to undermine the South's ability to wage war and preserve the Union.

The proclamation was also closely tied to military strategy, as slaves working in Confederate fields supported their war effort, and a loss of slave labor would seriously cripple that ability. Moreover, Lincoln hoped that by announcing emancipation, it would deter European powers from recognizing and supporting the Confederacy due to their anti-slavery stance.