Explain why Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation in 1862.
The Emancipation proclamation, passed in 1862, was a huge step towards racial equality in America. However, President Abraham Lincoln, the president responsible for signing the bill, was documented as stating that he was against equality of white and blacks, meaning he had a different agenda for signing the bill other than racial equality. Abraham Lincoln passed the Law to gain Northern support, to shift the war’s basis from a more political focus to a more moral base, and to prevent foreign involvement in the war. One of the reasons for passing the Emancipation proclamation, was to gain Northern support for the War. The Union had lost most of the wars, and support for the war effort in the North had begun to decrease. People were questioning the reason for the war, and saw the war as pointless. However, passing the Emancipation proclamation appealed to northerners’ morals, and drove them to support the war effort. It proved that freedom of slaves was actually one of the main goals of the war. In addition, the fact that the act only freed slaves in rebellious slaves was also intended to increase support among the Border States, Delaware, Missouri, Kentucky and Mississippi. Another reason for signing the Emancipation Proclamation, was to shift the war’s focus. Originally, the war was intended to keep Union together, and prevent the southern states from seceding. However, with the emancipation proclamation, the focus of the war shifted from that of a political stance, keeping the states together, to that of a moral stance, freeing slaves. This shift of focus garnered support from many individuals and also gave hope to slaves in the South. A final reason for the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was to deter European Nations from