The Emancipation Proclamation vs. The Thirteenth Amendment:
The Emancipation Proclamation was a pivotal document in the history of The United States of America passed following the battle of Antietam. However, contrary to popular assumption, the Emancipation Proclamation did not give the slaves freedom. Emancipation did not nationally nor legally take place until the 13th Amendment.
The Emancipation Proclamation declares "that all persons held as slaves...are, and henceforward shall be free". The fact not evidenced here is that the Emancipation Proclamation is simply a ruse to gain political support. The proclamation only freed slaves in the southern rebellious states. The border states, which provided many resources for the Civil War, consisted of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware. Nonetheless these states were slave states which never seceded, but the Union could not spare the support of the border states so the Emancipation Proclamation exempted these states from having to free their slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation in reality did not benefit the enslaved black aside from strengthening the moral and political position of the North. The black did not become legally free until the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment officially prohibited slavery. Nevertheless, despite being ineffective in eliminating slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation set the precedence for the prohibition of slavery.
The Emancipation Proclamation declares "that all persons held as slaves...are, and henceforward shall be free". The fact not evidenced here is that the Emancipation Proclamation is simply a ruse to gain political support. The proclamation only freed slaves in the southern rebellious states. The border states, which provided many resources for the Civil War, consisted of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware. Nonetheless these states were slave states which never seceded, but the Union could not spare the support of the border states so the Emancipation Proclamation exempted these states from having to free their slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation in reality did not benefit the enslaved black aside from strengthening the moral and political position of the North. The black did not become legally free until the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment officially prohibited slavery. Nevertheless, despite being ineffective in eliminating slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation set the precedence for the prohibition of slavery.
Perspective of the North:The North believed in the abolition of slavery. However, this does not constitute the equality of whites and blacks nor men and women. White superiority still reined. The northern white often disliked the individual freed black but had sympathy for the race. This sympathy turned to votes and The Civil War turned to a moral war rather than a war to preserve unity. The north spread propaganda (as shown above) to entreat the federal government to take action and it did in the form of the Emancipation proclamation. The North rejoiced but it never wanted equality between the white and black which would threaten the job market of poor whites. The North was swayed by literature such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The North, in general supported the abolition of slavery, which came about with the 13th amendment, and came to such a conclusion via the production of propaganda.
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Perspective of the South:The South felt throughout the Civil War that they were fighting for their God-given rights. These rebels were inspired by the American Revolution and continued to believe that their stance was legally, politically and morally correct, even after military reconstruction. The South felt the black was inferior to the white and therefore could be exploited and technically ought to be cared for, one argument in favor of slavery. The South felt Christian religion supported slavery and that the constitution allowed it. In addition, the South expected anarchy and chaos to result from the freeing of the black slave. Above the cartoon of the Nat Turner revolt is how the southern states felt the black slave would react, with revenge and violence. However, above all these reasons, the Southern economy was tied to slavery. Following the Civil War, the southern societal and economical structures were devastated. The South was entirely reliant on cotton which required a large labor force. The economic necessity was certainly the largest factor in fighting for slave labor. Therefore, when the Emancipation Proclamation was declared and the 13th Amendment ratified, the south obviously concluded that it was being threatened and targeted.
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Sources:
"Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" Am I Not a Man and a Brother? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
Emancipation Proclamation Map. Digital image. U.S. History. Ushistory.org, Web.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Emancipation_Proclamation." pag. Archives.gov. Web.
"The Southern Argument for Slavery." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, Web. Jan. 2015.
"Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" Am I Not a Man and a Brother? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
Emancipation Proclamation Map. Digital image. U.S. History. Ushistory.org, Web.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Emancipation_Proclamation." pag. Archives.gov. Web.
"The Southern Argument for Slavery." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, Web. Jan. 2015.