[mac_truck]

First, although it was not President Lincoln's intent, it freed slaves in the Confederate States.

Lincoln's first intent was to preserve the Union. However, Lincoln certainly did intend to free southern slaves when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation.

[Monterrosa-24]

Why did Lincoln wait until 1863 to issue the proclamation? Why did he not include those slaves in nearby Maryland's Eastern Shore????

[Don Simmons]

"...Lincoln certainly did intend to free southern slaves when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation."


Yes - Lincoln's intent was to cause uprisings in the South to undermine the Southern commanders' abilities to fight the war. He cared practically ZERO about the slaves. He made that abundantly clear when he told a delegation of freed slaves in Washington, DC (paraphrasing) "I do not consider you to be my equal, nor will I ever."

Lincoln gained a great deal of his wealth from the toil of slaves. Mary Todd's father used to own slaves.

Ever seen any of THAT written in a history book about "The Great Emancipator"?

Didn't think so...

[johnb838]

Weren't the pubbies founded on the abolitionist movement?

[painter]

Lincoln's first intent was to preserve the Union. However, Lincoln certainly did intend to free southern slaves when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation.

Lincoln did think slavery was evil,But that is NOT why he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. He wrote it during the height of the Civil war hoping to start an insurrection with the slaves in the south.

You see not all slave states seceded in 1861 Maryland and Missouri stayed in the Union.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

"...Lincoln certainly did intend to free the slaves when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation."

Freeing the slaves had multiple benefits. It gave the Federals a pool of recruits at a time when citizens were beginning to say "Hell no we won't go!" It created the possibility of an insurgency for the Confederacy to have to deal with at home.

The most important benefit was that the Federals were able to assume the moral high ground. That's the one that we have been taught to believe was the real cause for the War of Northern Aggression. Did all those Americans die to free the slaves or to preserve the union?

Michael Frazier