Chapter 23: The Emancipation Proclamation Reveals a Change of Mind and Heart

The January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation signals Lincoln crossing the Rubicon on racial equality.

He rationalizes it as a way to deprive the South of using its 4 million slaves as a labor force to support the war, or even, as Lee favored, to be enlisted to fight in exchange for their freedom.

And he does so despite opposition from his political advisors who argue that the Act will shift the goal of the conflict from Saving the Union to Freeing the Slaves.

But from the moment Lincoln issues the Act he knows that if the Union wins the war, 4 million slaves will be freed, and that sufficient funds will not be available to return them to Africa.

The only option then is to assimilate them into American society on the assumption that this will eventually succeed.