press. This proclamation changed the Union’s war effort. Before the Emancipation Proclamation the North was fighting for the preservation of the Union. Now, the Union was fighting to free slaves as well. The Emancipation Proclamation also let black men serve in the army. By the end of the war more than 180,000 blacks would enlist in the Union army and would serve in every theater of war. During a New Years day reception Lincoln and his cabinet left the party and went into Lincoln’s office. There, Lincoln read them the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. “If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act,” he said. Although many rejoiced over the Emancipation Proclamation, there were some Northern Democrats who didn’t care about the abolition of slavery and were angered by the Emancipation Proclamation. Northern Democrats had supported the war to save the Union with slavery intact. They did not want to fight for the freedom of slaves. The proclamation brought out a lot of anti-Lincoln feelings. Northern Democrats accused Lincoln of being a dictator and a tyrant. However, Lincoln held his ground. When he was asked to change the Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln said, “I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.” In order to deal with the anti war northerners Lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus in some areas of America. Habeas corpus is the right to a fair trial in front of a judge. When an area is put under martial law the people of that area lose their rights to a trial along with some other in...
