Thesis:
From 1861-1865, the Union fought against the Confederacy in the American Civil War, and the United States was on the brink of becoming two separate countries. Abraham Lincoln supported the Union, and needed to determine when and how to try to abolish slavery while still preserving the Union. As a result, Lincoln then issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which was a turning point in the Civil War. It increased the intensity of the fighting on both sides, caused foreign countries to support the Union instead of the Confederacy, and caused almost 200,000 Confederate slaves to join the Union army.
By: Ben B.