Emancipation Dbq

Lincoln believed he was an instrument of God, and through Him he was able to usher in a new birth of freedom for the Union once the war had finally concluded. He believed his presidency was divinely connected with God through his solemn oath in heaven, which he vowed to protect the Union, American people, and Constitution. Lincoln argued that extinguishing slavery was neither his first aim nor primary duty, but rather saving the Union was. Lincoln simultaneously attempted to fulfill his personal wish of emancipating slaves through any constitutional means. Arguably only a statesman is able to combine his personal wishes, constitutional duty, and the circumstances of the moment in a single document. Barton wrote,

“the determining motive of President

As the Battle of Antietam closed on September 17, the Union victory made significant ground, which allowed for President Lincoln to release the Emancipation Proclamation with meaning. Warranted by the Constitution and military necessity, the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the states participating in rebellion, ultimately diminishing Southern morale and production. The Emancipation Proclamation reads, “I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States are and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.” Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is a very legalistic document, deriving its foundation from the law itself. In a letter to O.H. Browning, Lincoln explained what the document did not allow, “it is not for him to fix their permanent future condition. That must be settled according to laws made by law-makers, and not by military proclamations.” Lincoln not only derived the jurisdiction of this document from the law and his political position but also from “the gracious favor of Almighty God.” Although the document did not immediately produce total emancipation, it surely paved the way for the total abolition of slavery, which he considered to be the crowning achievement of his presidency. Before affixing his name to the document on January 1, 1863, he said, “I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this