What date did Abraham Lincoln sign the Emancipation Proclamation?

Answer 1

Actually, it's not quite as simple as some suggest.

Lincoln issued a 'preliminary' Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, shortly after the Union victory at Antietam (he waited for a Union victory to give it greater credibility).

At that time he announced that it would be put into effect the following New Year's if the Southern states did not end their rebellion. They did not, and he issued the final form of the Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Incidentally, those who say it was meaningless and did not free anyone at all are dead wrong! The Proclmation first of all ESTABLISHED the freedom of slaves who had fled behind Union lines --promising they would NOT be returned to their masters. Second, this promise encouraged other slaves to free (thus their own acts *together with* the proclamation freed them). Finally, though it did not IMMEDIATELY free slaves in territories not under Union control, it assured that, as soon as Union armies DID take an area, the slaves were to be freed (and that is exactly what happened).

I should add that this action helped support the OTHER actions Lincoln took to secure the freedom of ALL slaves, in both North and South. That is, alongside this action he lobbyied thestate legislatures of border states in which slavery still existed (e.g. Maryland) to abolish it (he did not have the Constitutional power to do so himself except as a MILITARY action against rebel states), and pushed hard for passage of the 13th amendment.

Answer 2

Actually, it's not quite as simple as some suggest. Lincoln issued a 'preliminary' Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, shortly after the Union victory at Antietam (he waited for a Union victory to give it greater credibility). At that time he announced that it would be put into effect the following New Year's if the Southern states did not end their rebellion. They did not, and he issued the final form of the Proclamation on January 1, 1863. As for those who say it was meaningless and did not free anyone at all, sorry but they are dead wrong! The Proclmation first of all ESTABLISHED the freedom of slaves who had fled behind Union lines --promising they would NOT be returned to their masters. Second, this promise encouraged other slaves to free (thus their own acts *together with* the proclamation freed them). Finally, though it did not IMMEDIATELY free slaves in territories not under Union control, it assured that, as soon as Union armies DID take an area, the slaves were to be freed (and that is exactly what happened). I should add that this action helped support the OTHER actions Lincoln took to secure the freedom of ALL slaves, in both North and South. That is, alongside this action he lobbyied thestate legislatures of border states in which slavery still existed (e.g. Maryland) to abolish it and pushed hard for passage of the 13th amendment. Note: for those who complain that Lincoln did not himself act to free any NORTHERN slaves -- he did not have the Constitutional authority to do so!! He issued the Emancipation Proclamation by his "war powers" as comander-in-chief. And his other actions in support of established freedom in the North --including abolishing slavery in Washington D.C (which the federal government DID have power to do) and lobbying for the 13th amendment (even pushing for quick statehood for Nevada to gain extra votes for ratifying the amendment) show that he did indeed care about this matter beyond any short-termed strategic calculation. Sadly, folks like Southron are content to use dubious and cherry-picked quotes that distort Lincoln's views and do not allow for the possibility that his views ever changed. It seems they have no interest in reading through his writings themselves before telling us confidently 'what he really said' or meant, or in consulting the host of well-credentialed scholars on Lincoln and the period who disagree with them (why is that so threatening?)

Answer 3

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What date did Abraham Lincoln sign the Emancipation Proclamation?

Answer 4

January 1, 1863 is when he issued it freeing the slaves.