Emancipation Proclamation:
Thesis StatementThe Emancipation Proclamation was a way for Lincoln to keep the union together. It was a turning point in American history because it allowed African Americans to enroll in the union army, it freed many of the slaves living in the south, and it set a pathway for Civil Rights activists in the 20th century.
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Clip from a National Geographic Documentary. All rights reserved.
"And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God. " |
You dislike the emancipation proclamation; and, perhaps, would have it retracted. You say it is unconstitutional -- I think differently.
--August 26, 1863, Letter to James Conkling
I have very earnestly urged the slave-states to adopt emancipation; and it ought to be, and is an object with me not to overthrow, or thwart what any of them may in good faith do, to that end.
--June 23, 1863 Letter to John M. Schofield