LAD #17: Emancipation Proclamation

Summary:

On September 22 1862, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that on January 1 1863, all slaves in parts of the United States that were in rebellion are forever free. This freedom will be recognized and enforced by the US Government. If states send delegates to Congress elected by a majority of the people on January 1, then those states will be deemed not in rebellion. He calls on freed slaves to avoid violence and work hard for wages. He says that freed slaves will be allowed into the armed services. Lincoln believes that this act is allowed by the Constitution, is necessary, and he hopes it will be well-received both by men and God.