The Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln

1.     What is the author arguing?

     President Lincoln is not arguing in this document he is making a speech and stating the facts. The speech is about the abolition of the slavery.  Lincoln detested human bondage but being the President he felt that he had to act in the interest of the union. Lincoln was ready to act for justice to free all the slaves. Which the United States government would back Lincoln on this.

2.     How does the author appeal to Logos, Pathos, and Ethos?

Since Lincoln had a strong background as a lawyer the law was written very well almost like a law would be written today. Lincoln stated nothing but the facts when making this law. Knowing he was going to cause major issues with some people who believed strongly in slavery and these people acted on their feelings saying in the London Times paper that “ Where he has no power Mr. Lincoln will set the negroes free, where he retains power he will consider the as slaves.” But little did they know that he did not have power to free any slave in a loyal state. The emancipation ended up taking away the valuable slave laborers form the Confederacy and in the end saves many lives. The democrats party was against the emancipation and said that the white house is turning this into a nigger war stating that the new law was a high crime against the constitution but on New year’s day 1863 the final emancipation was passed into law freeing all slaves in the rebel states and was backed by the American government.

3.     What is the historical significance of this document?  

This document played a huge role in the history of America it changed slavery forever and the African Americans had the Union on their side for once. They were able to fight in the war which many would ask themselves why they would want to fight for a country that treated them so unfairly but this opportunity gave the blacks a way to show the whites that they were equal and cared about America just as much as they did. It also opened the doors for the rights of all African American’s not just white people though this happened years after the emancipation.

4.     Do you find the author’s argument convincing? Why or why not?

Of course this is convincing it was a huge change in American history and without the strength of President Lincoln who knows how long it would have taken for the freedom on the slaves. He didn’t care what people had to say about him he was doing what was right for the African American people and in the end what was right for America. Lincoln was a very wise man and I find him very interesting and enjoy learn about him.