American History On The End Of Slavery & The Emancipation Proclamation (Essay Sample)

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: The Emancipation Proclamation One major feature that characterizes American history is slavery. Notably, the period between the 18th and 19th century was marked by the extensive enslavement of Africans and African Americans. By the time the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, British America had been legally practicing slavery in all the Thirteen Colonies (Willis and Krauthamer 44). However, following the Civil War in 19th century, slavery was diminished across the country considerably before being abolished. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 played a significant role towards facilitating the end of slavery in the United States. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued an executive order targeting all slaves in the Confederate States. The president made the directive on account of being the country’s commander-in-chief, and, therefore, its validity was not subject to the approval of Congress (Chambers Jr. 100). Additionally, the proclamation was to serve as both a military strategy and a tool to rectify morally-wrong decisions (Hahn 310). As a military strategy, the declaration was meant for the Union to have the upper hand during the Civil War. The president hoped that by declaring slavery illegal, he would win over the support of individuals who had been enslaved considering that most of such persons would move to support the Union in the war (Hahn 310). On the other hand, the Emancipation Proclamation was also aimed at allowing America to abolish slavery, which was then considered to be a breach of societal morals and aspirations. However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not directly result in the freedom of slaves at the time it was pronounced. It even resulted in an intensified infighting as the Confederates sought to protect their interests regarding slavery (Sternhell 242). Initially, the war had been informed by the need to unite the North and the South whose characteristics, as well as goals, were dissimilar. The North, for instance, was becoming highly industrialized at the time with entrepreneurship being considered to be the foundation of the region’s economy. Conversely, the South was highly dependable on agriculture (Sternhell 242). The result was that the American society was divided into two factions with conflicting interests and aspirations (Schwartz 591). However, following the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation, the need to abolish slavery became a central point in the Civil War. Thus, the Emancipation Proclamation played a profound role in facilitating the end of slavery in America during the 19th century. President Abraham Lincoln contributed significantly towards the abolishment by issuing the directive. Nonetheless, the document was intended ...