Teacher Background Information
Table of Contents
Introduction Page 2
Background on Page 3
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation Pages 4
Transcript
The Preliminary Page 7
Emancipation Proclamation
370 Beach Road, Fairfield CT 06824
203-259-1598 | [email protected]
www.fairfieldhistory.org
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Promise of Freedom: The Emancipation Proclamation
is an exhibit and programs that commemorate the
150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The exhibition, on view from September 23, 2012 –
February 24, 2013, explores the American ideals of
freedom and equality and how these principles have
been tested over time.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to view
rare historical documents, including a copy of the
Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham
Lincoln, a copy of the 13th Amendment, rare slavery
artifacts, prints and political cartoons that illuminate
the public opinion of Lincoln in the 1860s, from an
evil instigator to heroic savior. The exhibit explores the legacy of Lincoln’s Proclamation
and how the boundaries of freedom continue to be debated today.
Fairfield Museum Education Programs & Field Trips
Education programs for grades 5 and up utilize primary sources and hands-on activities
to promote cultural enrichment, literacy and critical thinking with topics on Slavery in
Connecticut, Lincoln’s Legacy and more. Programs address state of Common Core and
Connecticut social studies and language arts curriculum.
Programs include:
Museum Visits: Class visits for 8th grade teams or 5th grade classes, up to 3-4 classes
with a rotation of activities including a Gallery Tour with Activity, hands-on workshops
and debates (full below)
Classroom Kit; Primary Sources, Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Reading Lists
Outreach Programs; classroom activities utilizing primary source materials
Professional Development
Contact the Education Department at the Fairfield Museum to schedule and
for more information:
203-259-1598 or [email protected]
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Background on The Emancipation Proclamation
On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation,
declaring that all slaves residing in states still in rebellion would be free as of January 1,
1863. The Emancipation Proclamation led to the end of slavery, and is considered one
of the most controversial documents in American history. The proclamation called for
the freedom of more than 3 million black slaves in the United States and reformed the
Civil War as a fight against slavery.
In issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln was forced to weigh several
points from the social, political, legal, military, and personal spectrums. The battle of
Antietam, September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day of the war. At the end of
the battle, 2,108 Union soldiers were confirmed dead, and another 10,293 were missing.
Five days later, on September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation
Proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by
January 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be "forever free". The South rejected
Lincoln's policy, and so the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863.
The Emancipation Proclamation served as a motive as well. It called for the
recruitment and establishment of escaped slaves joining the Union army. An
estimated 180,000 freed slaves served in the army which strengthened the Union and
crippled the manpower and economy of the Confederacy.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave because it
affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the Border States
and in Southern areas under Union control such as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana
and Virginia. It did, however, lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This
amendment, which became law on December 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the
United States.
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The Emancipation Proclamation: A Transcription
January 1, 1863
By the President of the United States of America:
A Proclamation.
Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States,
containing, among other things, the following, to wit:
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixtythree, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people
whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward,
and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and
naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do
no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their
actual freedom.
"That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the
States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in
rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on
that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen
thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have
participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive
evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United
States."
Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in
me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of
actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a
fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this first day of January, in
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the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my
purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first
above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof
respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit:
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St.
John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St.
Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated as
West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York,
Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which
excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued.
And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons
held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be
free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval
authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.
And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence,
unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they
labor faithfully for reasonable wages.
And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be
received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and
other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.
And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon
military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of
Almighty God.
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In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be
affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the
eighty-seventh.
By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
The U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. The Emancipation Proclamation
Washington D.C.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/index.html
28 February 2012
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The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
Background Information & Suggested Lesson Plans for Teachers
On Sept. 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation
Proclamation, which declared that some slaves would receive their freedom on Jan. 1,
1863. The New York Times printed the proclamation in its September 22 edition.
It said that on Jan. 1, “… all persons held as slaves within any State, or any designated
part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States
shall be then, thenceforward, and forever, free.”
The preliminary version differs from the final version of January 1, 1863, in placing a
greater emphasis on the preservation of the Union as a motivating force for the
Proclamation. The proclamation also allowed the Union Army to begin recruiting
blacks into its ranks; previously, there had only been a small number of blacks serving
in an unofficial capacity.
In addition, the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation continued colonization efforts:
“and that the effort to colonize persons of African descent [with their consent] upon this
continent, or elsewhere, [with the previously obtained consent of the governments
existing there,] will be continued”
Lesson Plans
Do you believe that the legacy of the Emancipation Proclamation continues to affect the
U.S. military population? Do the armed forces represent equal opportunity for all? Why
or why not?
Source:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/sept-22-1862-preliminaryemancipation-proclamation-announced/
Transcript
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/features/ep/transcript.htm
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