‘As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.’
Abraham Lincoln
August 1858
When Lincoln was elected, one of the greatest fears of those who opposed him was that he would outlaw slavery. As the war dragged on, Lincoln was pressured to do just that, but resisted. There were too many questions in his mind regarding the impact it would make on the United States. African Americans were seen as something akin to livestock by most slaveholders. Those who opposed slavery saw them as human beings, but not equal to Anglo-Americans. What would become of the 4 million slaves who would suddenly become homeless, with no means of supporting themselves?
Lincoln had used the slavery issue to his advantage when war broke out in the wake of his election. He had considered the implications that would come with freeing 4 million slaves. He had also considered how it would impact support from border states – slave states that remained with the Union – and foreign countries. The Union could not afford to lose their support. Despite his own sentiments and pressure from all sides, Lincoln waited.
In spite of his disgust at the idea of any human being held in slavery, Lincoln was of the same mind as most Americans. The majority of ‘Anglo’ in the United States did not see African Americans as being equal. People on both sides of the issue worried that freed slaves would never be able to assimilate into white society. Lincoln agreed and he pondered solutions. He even approved the allocation of funds to help ‘return’ African Americans to a colony in Africa. Whatever his views on the status of African Americans in American society, he always made it clear that he detested the practice of slavery. He had, however, given careful consideration to the consequences of his actions.
It was not until 22 September 1862 that Lincoln finally issued a preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. It wasn’t abolition, but it was a beginning. It declared that as of 1 January 1863 all persons held as slaves within states and parts of states that were in rebellion against the United States should be freed. It went on to state that the United States government should recognize and maintain this new freedom. It also ‘enjoined’ the freed slaves to abstain from violence except in self-defence, and that African-American men should be received into the military.
An unidentified African American poses in a sergeant’s uniform in 1864. Photo by J. Oldershaw.
The Emancipation Proclamation was not a law passed by Congress, but a directive from Lincoln, under constitutional law as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Proclamation freed 3.1 million of 4 million slaves, but did not apply to the five slave states that were not in rebellion – Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland and West Virginia. It did not outlaw slavery, nor did it give freedmen (former slaves) citizenship. Those objectives would come with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.