Question

Which of the following were intentions behind President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation? Select all that apply.

A.
to encourage conservatives to leave the North

B.
to publicly put the Union on the side of morality

C.
to weaken the economy of the Confederate states

D.
to facilitate Union alliances with American Indians

E.
to encourage African Americans to join the Union army

Answer 1

B, C, and E.

- B: The proclamation reframed the war as a fight against slavery, giving the Union a moral cause.
- C: Freeing enslaved laborers undermined the Confederacy’s workforce and economy.
- E: It opened the way for African Americans to enlist in the Union military and encouraged their recruitment.