Several reasons motivated Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation before the end of the civil war:
1. Military Strategy:
As the Union Army advanced into Confederate territories, Lincoln saw emancipation as a strategic move that would weaken the Confederacy. By declaring freedom for enslaved people, he aimed to disrupt the Southern economy, which heavily relied on slave labor, especially in agriculture and resource extraction. Depriving the Confederacy of its labor force would limit its ability to produce resources and sustain its military efforts.
2. International Pressures:
European nations, particularly Great Britain and France, were considering recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate government. Lincoln feared this would bolster Confederate morale and prolong the war. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, which aligned with the ideals of abolition and human rights, he hoped to dissuade European powers from supporting the Confederacy and thereby strengthen the Union's position.
3. Domestic Politics:
Lincoln faced mounting pressure from abolitionists and radical Republicans within his own party to take a bolder stance against slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was seen as a way to unify the country behind the cause of ending slavery and appeal to the growing antislavery sentiment in the North.
4. Moral Considerations:
Lincoln had personal convictions about the injustice and immorality of slavery. Although he initially hesitated to directly confront slavery, he gradually evolved in his views and considered emancipation a moral imperative. He believed that the United States could not win the civil war and claim to be a nation devoted to freedom and equality if it continued to allow human bondage.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved people in the United States. It primarily applied to enslaved individuals in the Confederate states, and many of them remained enslaved until the end of the war and its aftermath, when the 13th Amendment to the U.S. constitution officially abolished slavery throughout the country in December 1865.