Exploring the Emancipation Proclamation
“Emancipation” was a very powerful concept. During the Civil War era, it came to embody not just the granting of freedom to individuals who had been enslaved, but also the abolition of an institution that had been part of American life for over 200 years.
In this lesson, you will take notes as you watch videos, and read and analyze primary and secondary sources about the Emancipation Proclamation. Investigating the Emancipation Proclamation—how it came to be, what was in it, and its impact—will enable you write an essay to answer this question::
In what ways did the Emancipation Proclamation expand ideas of freedom and liberty in America?
Celebratory copy of the Emancipation Proclamation
To help you answer that question, the lesson will focus on three aspects of the Emancipation Proclamation:
- How did the range of antislavery approaches reflect ideas about freedom and liberty in America?
- How did the antislavery activists, who represented a range of approaches to emancipation, influence Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation?
- What did the provisions of the Emancipation Proclamation address?
Calderwood Writing Course: U.S. History
