Sept. 22, 1862- Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation

On September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation that he would order the emancipation of all slaves in any state (or part of a state) that did not end their rebellion against the Union by January 1, 1863.

None of the Confederate states restored themselves to the Union, and Lincoln's order, signed and issued January 1, 1863, took effect. The Emancipation Proclamation outraged white Southerners who envisioned a race war, angered some Northern Democrats, energized anti-slavery forces, and weakened forces in Europe that wanted to intervene to help the Confederacy. The Proclamation lifted the spirits of African Americans both in the Southern and Northern States, and led to many slaves escaping their masters and running behind Union lines in order to obtain their freedom.

The Emancipation Proclamation shifted the focus of the Civil War. While slavery had been a major issue that led to the war, at its beginning, Lincoln's only mission was to keep the Union together. The Proclamation made freeing the slaves an explicit goal of the Union war effort, and was a step towards outlawing slavery and conferring full citizenship upon ex-slaves.

Todays Reflection:

Crowed Elevators smell different to midgets.

Live Long and Prosper....