Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
In Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, learn how President Abraham Lincoln issued a bold declaration during the third year of the Civil War that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territories were to be free. While limited in immediate effect, the proclamation allowed Black men to join the Union Army and became one of the greatest documents of human freedom in U.S. history.
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Q: Why did the Emancipation Proclamation not immediately free all enslaved people in the United States?
A: It applied only to states in rebellion against the Union, leaving areas under Union control and border states exempt.
Q: How did the Emancipation Proclamation change the role of Black men in the Civil War?
A: It allowed them to enlist in the Union Army, and by the end of the year, over 200,000 had fought.
Q: Why is the Emancipation Proclamation considered one of the greatest documents of human freedom?
A: It declared the goal of ending slavery and expanded the moral purpose of the war, shaping Lincoln’s presidency and the nation’s history.
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In Abraham Lincoln and Freedom for Some, historian Lucy Worsley takes a look at the Emancipation Proclamation drafted by Lincoln in 1863 that promised freedom from enslavement. However, it was only promised in rebel Southern states. Evidence suggests that Lincoln's main aim was to save the Union, not to end slavery. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In Abraham Lincoln and Freedom for Some, historian Lucy Worsley takes a look at the Emancipation Proclamation drafted by Lincoln in 1863 that promised freedom from enslavement. However, it was only promised in rebel Southern states. Evidence suggests that Lincoln's main aim was to save the Union, not to end slavery. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.