Timing of the Emancipation Proclamation

Patience is a Virtue Abraham Lincoln is considered today, to be one of the best presidents of the United States. However he was despised by many at the time of his election. When he was elected a number of states in the south insisted that they would not be governed by him and wanted to secede. By the time he of his inauguration seven states had already seceded with four more following shortly after. The Confederates seceded because they feared that slavery would be ended, and they felt it was too important to their economy. Their actions are still considered to be too severe because although Lincoln was against slavery, he was not prepared to take any direct action to stop it. He believed that if he stopped to spread of slavery then it would die out in the far future. He also believed the slaves did not believe to become American citizen and should be shipped back to Africa after they gained freedom. Abraham Lincoln said he only cared about preserving the United States of America and joining the Confederacy back to the Union. Lincoln saw Fort Sumter as the perfect opportunity to bait the Confederates into war. Fort Sumter was a Union fort in South Carolina, and President Lincoln decided to send supplies there, knowing it would upset the Confederates because it shows that the union had no plans of giving it up. The Confederates respond by firing on the fort for thirty-three hours and completely destroyed it, but not killing anyone. This is considered the first battle in the Civil War and what started the fighting. The Union people thought that it would be an easy win for them but the Confederates comes strong out of the gate. The Union was struggling with finding a general that could create the winning formula. The Union lost some key battles early on; however it filled them with passion and made them hungry for victory. Eventually Ulysses S. Grant took the reins and the Union went on to victory. Abraham Lincoln started his presidency with