Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln after The Battle of Antietam. The Emancipation's goal was to eventually end all slavery in the country. However The Emancipation Proclamation did not eliminate slavery all at once. The document only stopped slavery in certain parts of the Union. One reason for this was because President Lincoln needed the population of the country on his side. This meant that he needed support from the border states. Other reasons for the document being carefully worded included the fear that premature action that could over turn in the next election, constitutional protections of slavery, and prejudices of many northerners. The Emancipation did help free all slaves living in the states at war and made the Union fight for African American rights instead of secession or rebellion. On the other hand, The Emancipation Proclamation did not free slaves living in the border states or free every single slave there was.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/EmancipationProclamation.jpg