What Difference Does a Name Make?

1.       Emancipation Proclamation Act of 1863

2.       The Emancipation Proclamation was a anouncement and notice Emancipating all Black Slaves in the Confederate Sates which were located in the South of the United Sates. The President at the time was Abraham Lincoln and he announced the new bill during the time of the Civil War when 11 U.S states succeeded from the Union. In the Act it states, "That all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are, and henceforward shall be free."

3.       The Emancipation Proclamation was proposed in 1863, then was fully ratified towards the end of the war in 1865 as the Confederate South surrendered to the Union North

4.       Important events going on at that time was the Civil War between the North and the South United States. At this time Black people transported from Africa were being used as slaves in America.

5.       African American Slaves and Abolitionist favored this movement. The reason why they favored it was the reason of ending slavery. It has been the Abolitionist goal to abolish slavery, meaning to end it, and this Act was an announcement to end slavery in the South. African American Slaves favored this for the obvious reason of freedom.  

6.       Slave owners, and peoples of the Confederate States of America (11 states in the south of the United States) opposed this Act. Because slavery was a source of labor that strengthened the Southern economy. Without Slaves many white southerners would lose business in the plantations they owned. They also believed that this act was disrespectful to their States Rights and felt that they Federal Government in the North should have no power over them.

7.       This Act had huge impact on how people were starting to view Blacks in the United States. Now more people were starting to see Blacks, not as property but more as people. However there was great hatred and animosity for Blacks in the South, and it was not safe for escaped Slaves or any Black person to live in the South during that time.

8.       The title of the Act is truthful because it didn’t legally free Slaves in the South but it did announce and was a Proclamation of freedom for slaves living in the South.

9.       Black Slaves and White Southerners

10.   Abolitionist

11.   White Southerners. Although they oppose the rule as a whole they can argue more with a name like Emancipation Proclamation. Because the act wasn’t a legal act, it was an announcement of Emancipation for Black Slaves. Meaning, although the North said that Slaves were free, the Confederacy could still withhold slaves.

12.   Abolitionist would fight to change the name because even though it was a proclamation of freedom towards black Slaves it did not end slavery in the United States which was the goal of Abolitionist.  A good title that abolitionist would use, would be the End of Slavery Act 1863. This title clearly states that there would be an end to slavery instead of just saying a group of people would be “proclaimed” free.