Question

Which of the following are true of the Emancipation Proclamation?

It was issued after the battle at Antietam.
Lincoln issued it to shorten the war and gain support from non-slave nations.
It freed all slaves in American territory immediately.
It ensured that England would not support the South.

Answer 1

1. It was issued after the battle at Antietam. — True. Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation on Sept 22, 1862, a few days after the Battle of Antietam (Sept 17); the final Emancipation Proclamation took effect Jan 1, 1863.

2. Lincoln issued it to shorten the war and gain support from non-slave nations. — True (with nuance). It was issued as a war measure to weaken the Confederacy’s labor force and to make foreign intervention (especially by Britain and France) politically difficult; shortening the war and discouraging foreign recognition were important motives alongside moral ones.

3. It freed all slaves in American territory immediately. — False. It applied only to slaves in Confederate-held territories in rebellion (and only where the Union could enforce it); it did not free slaves in Union border states or in Confederate areas already under Union control.

4. It ensured that England would not support the South. — False. It greatly reduced the likelihood that Britain (and France) would recognize or support the Confederacy, but it did not absolutely “ensure” that outcome.