Easier Said than Done

Abraham Lincoln is often lauded as the president who freed the slaves, but just how much impact did his Emancipation Proclamation have?  As it turns out, not much.  Lincoln's initial goal was not emancipation, but the preservation of the Union - and freeing the slaves was a strategic means to that end.  It was an action forced by slave riots that reminded the country that the American Civil War began as a conflict over slavery, not secession.

So, if it wasn't Honest Abe, who did give freedom to the slaves?  It was actually primarily the slaves themselves.  They rioted, revolted against their owners, and basically did their best to remind the Union that the South had seceded because of contentions over slavery.  After the Emancipation Proclamation, southern slaves were far from free - the proclamation only served to anger Confederates.  Because all of the law enforcement in the south was fighting for slavery and the South now considered itself separate, none of the slaves were actually freed by Lincoln's declaration.

Lincoln claimed to have a personal belief that all men should be free, but was originally apathetic about freeing the slaves.  His purpose was to keep the Union together, saying, 'If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.'  Throughout the course of the war, however, his mind began to change and he became more passionate about emancipation.  He was reminded of the slaves' plight by riots and stories of escapees.  In the end, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't do much practically - but the gesture was nice.

Sources
http://www.edline.net/files/_DMF17_/2238431140fb386a3745a49013852ec4/Freedom_from_Above_or_Below_Documents.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/film/episode3.html#
http://www.edline.net/files/_DMF2g_/25617cd6768f5fcd3745a49013852ec4/Docs_XY_Above__Below.pdf
http://www.edline.net/files/_DMF3y_/abfc09536fdb31443745a49013852ec4/Freedom_to_the_Slaves.jpg