Commander In Chief Powers
- By mid-1862, the North had suffered great losses in the Civil War and appeared to be losing the war.
- Since Lincoln strongly believed that emancipated slaves could help the Union win the war, he realized that he could use his powers as Commander-in-Chief to emancipate slaves who then could join the Union army.
- With the Union losing the Civil War in 1862, Lincoln then could say that the Emancipation Proclamation was necessary to help the Union win the war,
- Lincoln’s logic was that slaves in rebelling states could be freed and could join the Union forces, helping the Union to win the war and preserve the country.