Abraham Lincoln
1
OVERVIEW
Following the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, President Abraham Lincoln
issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the states remaining in
rebellion after the following January 1. Although he was criticized by many for not going far
enough, Lincoln had no constitutional power to end slavery in states loyal to the Union. His
act, however, encouraged slaves to help the Union and transformed the war into a crusade
against slavery.