Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation when he did?
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln as a military measure. In a private meeting with Secretary of State William Seward and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles on July 13, 1862, Lincoln announced his intention to issue an emancipation proclamation calling it “a military necessity, absolutely essential to the preservation of the Union.”[20] Lincoln stated, “We must free the slaves or be ourselves subdued. The slaves are undeniably an element of strength to those who have their service, and we must decide whether that element should be with us or against us. Decisive and extensive measures must be adopted. The administration must set an example and strike at the heart of the rebellion.”[21] The Emancipation Proclamation was designed to deprive the Confederacy of slave labor and bring additional men into the Union Army.[22] As a military measure, President Lincoln offered the slaves freedom, and he firmly insisted, “The promise being made, must be kept.” Opponents
