Sec. 11.2: The Politics of War

MAIN IDEA By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln made slavery the focus of the war.Directions: Use the terms from the Word Bank to complete the narrative. Each term will be used once. The South sought Great Britain’s support. Lincoln was equally determined to prevent that support. He extended war aims to include the end of slavery. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. While the document was not able to free slaves in Confederate areas, the action was symbolically important. Many in the North were pleased by the proclamation. Free blacks liked the fact that they could now enlist in the army. Northern Democrats said it would prolong the war by angering the South. Southerners did indeed become more determined to fight to victory. The British, who did not wish to be seen supporting slavery, decided not to recognize the South. Lincoln and Davis both suspended the right of habeas corpus, thus allowing police to arrest and hold dissenters without trial. Those arrested in the North included “Copperheads,” or Democrats who advocated peace with the South. Both sides also used conscription to draft people into the army. Northern workers who opposed the draft started several riots. The worst, in New York, lasted four days. Many African Americans were attacked and some were killed.