Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was met with both support and criticism. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the American Civil War on January 1, 1863. It declared that all slaves in the Confederate states "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Lerone Bennett said that the proclamation was seen as a tactical move by Lincoln to try and weaken the Confederacy by undermining its labor force and to win support from abolitionists and foreign powers to preserve the Union, not to emancipate slaves. Lerone Bennett presents a highly critical and controversial interpretation of the Emancipation Proclamation and President Abraham Lincoln's motivations for issuing it. However, Lincoln's objective of prioritizing the preservation of the Union over emancipation ultimately influenced America’s greater freedom, so his moral vision cannot be questioned. 

Bennett could support his argument by bringing up Lincoln delaying the Emancipation Proclamation. Bennett can argue that delaying emancipation was unnecessary. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but he proposed the first iteration of the proclamation in August 1862. The decision made by Lincoln could be viewed as an unnecessary decision. It could be portrayed to the people that he did not care about the freedom of slaves. He delayed issuing the proclamation because he wanted to wait until the Union defeated the Confederates. Since not all the Northerners were receptive to embracing African-Americans, proclaiming in the middle of the war could be seen as desperation and could potentially demoralize Union soldiers and undermine support for the war effort. Additionally, Lincoln may have wanted to wait until a proper moment to issue the proclamation, when public opinion was more favorable to emancipation. Lincoln may have believed that it would be more likely to garner support from both the general public and Congress. Ultimately, Lincoln's decision to postpone the Emancipation Proclamation was driven by military, political, and strategic considerations. Based on all of these pieces of information, one can infer that Lincoln was not genuinely committed to the abolition of slavery, which agrees with Bennett’s argument.

Abraham Lincoln might not be genuine in emancipating slaves by proclaiming emancipation, but the question that people should ask is, did his insincerity cause any harm to slaves? I believe that it did the opposite of harming slaves. If people would agree with what Bennett said, they will argue that the Emancipation Proclamation was primarily used as a military measure to weaken the Confederate’s economy to take control of the war or that Lincoln sought to preserve the Union and restore the federal government’s control over the rebellious states rather than emancipating slaves. These arguments supporting Bennett are hard to deny. However, these decisions by Lincoln directly affected the emancipation of slavery significantly, also, even delaying the Emancipation Proclamation. Suppose the Confederacy had been successful in achieving its goal of establishing a separate nation. In that case, slavery would likely have continued to be a central part of the economy and society of the Confederacy, at least for the foreseeable future. Since the Union won the Civil War, slavery was abolished as a result of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1865. The 13th Amendment marked a significant turning point in American history. It helped to pave the way for future civil rights legislation, including the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and the 15th Amendment, which granted the right to vote for African American men.

Another example of Lincoln’s desire to preserve the union leading to emancipation is The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858. Keeping the Union was a major objective for Lincoln during the debate, but the issue of slavery and the emancipation of slaves was also a central focus of the debates and was closely linked to the goal of preserving the union. At the time of the debates, the United States was deeply divided over the issue of slavery, with tensions between the North and the South growing increasingly volatile. Lincoln, the republican candidate for the United States Senate, argued that slavery was morally wrong and that its expansion into new territories would threaten the country's unity. However, during the debate, Lincoln said something in contrast to the emancipation of slavery. "I do not support bringing about social and political equality between the white and black races. I do not support giving black people the right to vote, serve on juries, hold office, or intermarry with white people. I believe there is a physical difference between the white and black races that will always prevent them from living together on equal terms. Therefore, as long as they remain together, there must be a superior and inferior position, and I believe the superior position should be assigned to the white race." It is ironic for him to say such words as a person trying to abolish slavery, bringing us back to Bennett’s argument that he was indifferent to black people's rights. On the other hand, it can be viewed from a different perspective. Considering the public opinion on African-Americans, it was actually clever to gradually shorten the distance between white and black people’s social and physical difference. If Lincoln said that black and white people were equal, the public would not be convinced, and it would likely cause distrust between the public and their leader. Persuading the audience was the main purpose of the debate.

The Emancipation Proclamation was a complex and significant event in American history that was met with both support and criticism at the time of its issuance. While some, such as Lerone Bennett, have argued that it was primarily a tactical move by President Abraham Lincoln to weaken the Confederacy and preserve the Union, it is important to consider the context in which the proclamation was issued and the broader impact it had on the abolition of slavery in the United States. Ultimately, the Emancipation Proclamation set the stage for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which formally abolished slavery throughout the United States and marked a significant turning point in American history. While Lincoln may have had complex motivations for issuing the proclamation, its impact on the eventual abolition of slavery cannot be denied.