To what extent was the passing of the "Emancipation Proclamation" (1862/3) determined by Lincoln's desire to undermine the Southern economy?
28/2/2005 Luke Bullen NPS
To what extent was the passing of the “Emancipation Proclamation” (1862/3) determined by Lincoln’s desire to undermine the Southern economy?
Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation completed the most significant u-turn in American history. Months before, in the Crittendon Resolution, Lincoln had explicitly stated that Union forces would not target Southern plantations, and that the South would be welcomed back into the Union with or without the slave system. At this point, Lincoln regarded slavery as a potentially divisive issue and, as noted by the historians Johansson and Hofstatder, aimed to avoid anything that would associate him as being either for or against its abolition. However, by 1863, Northern forces had discovered the impracticality of defeating the Confederates whilst essentially upholding the slave trade in the Southern land they occupied. It became imperative that the slave trade collapsed. However, while this factor would have influenced President Lincoln considerably, a more pressing concern was to prevent European intervention. Any such interference would have evened out the enormous disparity between North and South, dragging the North into a lengthier and costlier conflict. More significant than this, though, was Lincoln’s need to justify the sacrifices already incurred by the Union forces. To do this, Lincoln used the Emancipation Proclamation to turn the Civil War into a crusade: both for America, and for God. It is this final factor that proved the most influential.
The economy of America’s Southern states had been utterly dependent on slavery for decades before Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation. However, it was at this point that the South relied upon slavery most. In this period of war, it was vital that the South was able to produce huge amounts of arms in a short amount of time, and to do this they needed a great number of workers. The highly industrialised Northern economy was perfectly adapted to the extra demand, and was able to facilitate the production of all the equipment needed. Conversely, the Southern economy was sluggish in its attempts to update its primitive economy, and because of this remained reliant on the slave trade. Thus, in depriving the South of a big proportion of its workforce, Lincoln was able to significantly reduce their production capabilities. More directly, the North benefited by being able to acquire the slaves for themselves. This had the advantage of increasing the number gap twice: the Northern soldiers occupying Southern plantations would be free to fight again, and the released blacks themselves could become Northern fighters. Thus, the Emancipation Proclamation was seen not only as a way of weakening the South, but of strengthening the North. In such a way, Lincoln was able to widen the disparity between North and South. From a popular perspective, slavery was seen as a symbol of Southern independence. Being otherwise incapacitated by the ongoing Civil War, the Confederate states’ only outlet was the desire to inflict some form of victory over the domineering North. The obliteration of the slave trade would end any hope of this moral-boosting ambition. With the 1864 election fast approaching, Lincoln hoped in the very least to present the Northern public with a moral victory, and to increase his standing with the Puritan-led population. However, this aspect would be greater exploited by Lincoln’s depiction of the war as a crusade and, without that ‘spin,’ would be of little significance. Having undermined the Southern economy, it was crucial that Lincoln proceeded to inflict more lasting damage. This could only come in military form.
