Emancipation

We all know that Abraham Lincoln freed Southern slaves with the
Emancipation Proclamation, Document V. Use these documents to think about what Lincoln believed about slavery, and what he did as president to end slavery.

Lincoln thought the Constitution was very important, and the Constitution protected slavery. He had to think very hard before deciding to free the slaves. Document W is a letter he wrote about his decision.

14. Have you ever had to make a choice between what you felt was right and what would be good for you? Do you think deciding to free the slaves was like that for Lincoln?

Document YY is an artist’s idea of what it looked like when Lincoln read the Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet.

Many people thought it was a good idea to end slavery, and many people thought it was a bad idea. Some people (See Document ZZ) thought it was such a good idea that they wrote to the president telling him so.
15. If you were alive in 1862, would you have signed a petition like this? Why or why not?