“If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is into it.” Show
Lincoln’s Order The proclamation was limited in scope and revolutionary in impact. The war to preserve the Union also became a war to end slavery.  Commemorative Print Publishers
throughout the North responded to a demand for copies of Lincoln’s proclamation and produced numerous decorative versions including this engraving by R. A. Dimmick in 1864. “We are all liberated by this proclamation. Everybody is liberated. The white man is liberated, the black man is liberated, the brave men now fighting the battles of their country against rebels and traitors are now liberated.” Frederick Douglass, February 6, 1863 Telegraph Office Inkstand In the summer of 1862, while waiting for the latest news to come into the War Department telegraph office next to the White House, Lincoln began to draft the proclamation using this inkstand. The president sat at the desk of Maj. Thomas T. Eckert, and Lincoln later explained to Eckert that he had been composing a document “giving freedom to the slaves of the South.” Self-Emancipation “Imagine, if you will . . . an army of slaves and fugitives, pushing its way irresistibly toward an army of fighting men. . . . Their arrival among us . . . was like the oncoming of cities.” Union General John Eaton Entering Union Lines Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, June 8, 1861, Library of Congress The First “Contrabands” The Front Lines of Freedom Sibley Tent As African Americans walked away from slavery and into Union lines, the U.S. Army found itself fighting
a war surrounded by men, women, and children. The self-emancipated forced the army and eventually President Lincoln to resolve their status as people not property. The military provided cast-off tents, like this Sibley tent, for African Americans who reached Union lines. One tent could hold 12 to 20 people. Contraband Camp By the first months of war, freed men and women built tent cities or “contraband
camps,” sometimes with assistance from the U.S. Army. This photograph taken in 1865 in Richmond, Virginia, shows the widespread use of the Sibley tent to house freed people. Map of Camps African Americans established makeshift communities as thousands sought freedom. The locations of
these camps followed the path of the army’s advance into the Confederacy. A few were established outside of the South to help house black Americans migrating north out of slavery. Private Gordon, 1863 Private Gordon’s scarred back became a powerful symbol of the human cost of slavery during the Civil War. This photograph, taken during Gordon’s U.S. Army medical examination, was widely sold and circulated to support the Union effort and assist fugitives. After being brutally beaten by an overseer, Gordon escaped slavery in March 1863 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Celebrating Emancipation The news of the Emancipation Proclamation was celebrated across Europe and Latin America where, in most countries, emancipation had already occurred. Les Negres affranchis colportant le decret d'affranchissement du president Lincoln, “Fugitive Slaves Crossing the Rappahannock River, Virginia in August, 1862” Recognizing an important piece of history, Timothy O’Sullivan photographed African Americans freeing themselves in 1862. This image of people leaving slavery by the wagonful was picked up by many newspapers and became a common way to portray the mass migration. “Contrabands Building a Levee on the Mississippi Below Baton Rouge” The U.S. Army put African American men, women, and children to work when they came into Union lines. Often the work was difficult and dangerous, especially for those who were malnourished. The death rate soared as generals took the name “contraband” to heart and used freed people to advance the war effort. Word spread, and by late 1862, many African Americans chose to avoid the government camps. F.H. Schell, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, May 9, 1863 Quartermaster’s Wharf, Alexandria, Virginia, about 1863 Mathew Brady Image GalleryWhat effect did the Emancipation Proclamation have on African American soldiers?Moreover, the proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union army and navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.
What challenges did African American soldiers face in the Union Army?During the Civil War, black troops were often assigned tough, dirty jobs like digging trenches. Black regiments were commonly issued inferior equipment and were sometimes given inadequate medical treatment in racially segregated hospitals. African-American troops were paid less than white soldiers.
What kind of discrimination did African American soldiers in the Union Army face?During the war, African American troops also faced a different kind of battle: a battle against discrimination in pay, promotions, and medical care. Despite promises of equal treatment, blacks were relegated to separate regiments commanded by white officers.
How many black soldiers joined the Union after the Emancipation Proclamation?A large contingent of African Americans served in the American Civil War. The 186,097 black men who joined the Union Army included 7,122 officers and 178,975 enlisted soldiers.
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