The Freeing of the Slaves
History may seem like a simple subject to understand, but in reality it is much more than meets the eye. A single historical event can have many different interpretations, but normally a single story or master narrative stands out and develops. The problem with this is that some times this narrative is not the most accurate portrayal of the event, or is over simplified, or even just false. The only way to become more knowledgeable about the world’s past is if we question the stories that we have been taught in school.
The first topic I intend to cover is Abraham Lincoln, and the ending of American slavery. Lincoln is often praised as “The Great Emancipator”. While his actions were extremely important during the Civil War and in the history of the United States, the master narrative of his actions and personal opinions are flawed.
Many people look at Lincoln and his role in the Civil War Era and assume that he was a radical abolitionist. In fact, many of Lincoln’s relatives owned slaves, which is not surprising considering he grew up in the southern state of Kentucky. Lincoln did not agree with the institution of slavery, but his ideas on the subject changed over time. While Lincoln did think the slaves should be free, he also believed that they should be shipped back to Africa, rather than having them live in the United States. The ideas that Lincoln held on slavery progressed throughout his life leading up to the Civil War.
One of these ideas, the Emancipation Proclamation, went into effect on January 1, 1863, but came as the result of the Battle of Antietam in September of the year before. This document is normally remembered for freeing all of the slaves, but that does not tell a completely accurate story. The slaves were not freed until 1865 with the passing of the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States. What the Emancipation Proclamation actually did was free only the slaves that lived in the rebelling Confederate States.
Freeing slaves in the Confederate States gave Lincoln and the Union Army an ally in he Deep South where many of the major battles took place. Along with bolstering the Union, this document also hurt the economy of the South since they had become so dependent on slave labor. The Border States were the reason that Lincoln did not free all of the slaves. These states still allowed slavery, but chose not to secede with some of the other southern states. Rather than upset the Border States and risk more seceding states, Lincoln chose to avoid freeing the slaves in those states.
While the Emancipation Proclamation did free a number of the slaves, sometimes the effects of it get mixed with amendments that came after the war. While Lincoln did push to end slavery, this proclamation became more of a strategy to aid the Union rather than an attempt to make his mark as the “Great Emancipator”.
The Cave 