- The primary objective of the Emancipation Proclamation was to undermine the Confederacy by depriving it of its labor force the enslaved workers.
- By freeing the enslaved people, the proclamation aimed to disrupt the Southern economy, which was heavily dependent on slave labor, especially in the agricultural sector.
- This weakening of the Confederate economy and military strength was intended to hasten the end of the Civil War and lead to the Union victory.
2) As a diplomatic move
- The Emancipation Proclamation also had a significant diplomatic impact.
- It was issued in the midst of the Civil War when several European nations, including Britain and France, were considering providing aid or recognition to the Confederate States of America.
- By declaring the freedom of enslaved people, President Abraham Lincoln sought to portray the Union as fighting for a moral cause and to discourage European powers from supporting the Confederacy.
3) To advance the cause of freedom
- The Emancipation Proclamation was a bold step toward the abolition of slavery in the United States.
- While it did not immediately free all enslaved people in the country, it served as a turning point in the fight against slavery and helped shape public opinion in favor of emancipation.
- It laid the groundwork for the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, which officially abolished slavery.
Overall, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued as a strategic move during the Civil War to undermine the Confederacy, influence international diplomacy, and advance the cause of freedom and equality in the United States.