Interview with an Expert
In order to gain full perspective, I held an in person interview Mr. Nathan Piccini, a college board certified Advanced Placement United States history educator, AP US history exam reader, and the head of history department at a private institution.
What role did the Emancipation Proclamation have in changing the outcome of the civil war?
The Emancipation Proclamation changed the dynamic of the war because Lincoln could frame the war as one against slavery. It became a moral crusade and justified the enlistment of black soldiers and prevented European powers from recognizing the south because the war framed them as defenders of slavery, a system that Europeans had rejected.
In your professional opinion, what were Lincoln's intentions in issuing the proclamation?
I believe Lincoln intended the Emancipation Proclamation as a war measure to break the backs of the south. By emancipating slaves, anytime the union army encountered enslaved people, they would free them depriving the south of workers. He knew it would be a matter of time before the south would surrender.
Why was the Emancipation Proclamation an essential moment in the Civil Rights movement?
The Emancipation Proclamation marks the first time that the federal government acted on behalf of black Americans. It’s a decisive moment and ties freemen to the Republican Party until the Great Depression.
How did the Emancipation Proclamation change the makeup of the American government?
The Emancipation Proclamation and Civil War marks a change in American politics as republicans control the presidency nearly nonstop from Lincoln to FDR and they are able to use their influence to run reconstruction and try to remake the south.
How did the Emancipation Proclamation change the stereotype or role of the executive branch?
The Emancipation Proclamation as an executive order places a great deal of power with the president. While Executive orders weren’t unheard of before it, they become more common as congress becomes more deadlocked. More importantly republicans control everything. And blacks begin to view the party of Lincoln as their allies.