Was Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation really a big deal?

Question

Britain had already emancipated all the slaves in its colonies, by the Abolition Act of 1833. Wilberforce had been working towards this for half a century. Serfdom was abolished in Poland by Kosciusko in 1794. Russia did away with it in 1864, and this emancipated twenty times more people than the American emancipation achieved.

Slavery had been accepted as normal throughout human history. It is accepted in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. It was the foundation for the economies of both Greece and Rome. The end of slavery was a worldwide human and Humanist achievement and Americans should not imagine that their latecoming jumping on the bandwagon was anything special. South Africa, often recognized as a racist society, had been slavery-free for decades before Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation.

What are our kids being taught in school about the realities of history?

Answer 1

Actually it was only a big deal because it helped win the war and show what the North was fighting for. IT DID NOT, I repeat, IT DID NOT free all the slaves in America. It only freed the slaves in the Confederate states. There were still several slave states that were part of the Union. The slaves there were NOT freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. The reason? Simple, Lincoln had no Constitutional authority to free the slaves. The only reason he could do it in the Confederate states was because of the President's War Powers where he can do anything and everything in his power to win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation helped win the war by breaking the back of the Southern economy.

MUCH, MUCH bigger and more important than the Emancipation Proclamation was the 13th Amendment. IT and IT ALONE freed the slaves.

Answer 2

It should be noted the Proclamation of Emancipation did not really free anyone. It only applied to areas still in rebellion. Those slaves in areas controlled by the Union Army were not covered by the Proclamation. The announcement, it was hoped, would lead to slaves just walking away from their owners and the jobs they did. Thus the Confederate War effort would be damaged.

On the other hand it had a huge psychological effect on both sides. It led Union soldiers to believe they were fighting to end slavery and Confederate soldiers the feeling that this was all the war was about.

And in the end it led to the amendment of the Constitution to ban slavery in all the states, North or South, recall that all these Union states had slaves - Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, W. Virginia and Missouri.

DOES ANYONE READ THE ANSWERS THAT COME BEFORE THEIR OWN?

Answer 3

As a nation, the emancipation proclamation was very important.
As to the world view, who knows.
To the slaves in America, it was the single most important thing in the universe, I would imagine.
Slavery exists in America today but takes the form of economic bondage.
As to being accepted historically, that does not make it right. The human race is slow to evolve.

Answer 4

Well jay I really hate to point out some REVISION but , i have SEVERAL documents from abraham linclon stating he could give a flying rats @#! about slavery! he only cared about keeping america together. His cabinet over a period of three years convinced him begrudgingly to issue the proclimation. thus gaining the support of the british, who at the time were supporting the confederacy, with the desire to split us, as we had kicked thier @#! in the war of 1812.

And gotta dispute the 13th amendment thing as well, I mean let's start telling some truth in our history shall, we?

we WON. that's the only reason slaves were freed.

And if you want to really get scared think about this:

Linclon wanted to win the war on national unity
instead he won it over slavery.

Davis wanted to win the war on states rights.
instead he lost it on slavery.

When to parties cease hostility over things they did not origonally go to war over there's a name for it:

a cease fire. And those rarely are permanent solutions to internal stress, but then being a history teacher you already know that right?

Answer 5

It was a pretty big deal to the slaves that existed at the time!

Answer 6

of course it was it freed all the slaves in america. Who cares what the British did with their slaves. It might not be important to the world but it was certianly important to the U.S