The Announcement That Changed the Civil War
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln announced a decision that would change the meaning of the Civil War. Unless states fighting against the United States returned to the Union, he declared, enslaved people in those states would be proclaimed free on January 1, 1863. The announcement was not immediate freedom for everyone held in slavery. It was a warning, a military measure, and a turning point in a long struggle led in part by enslaved people themselves.
A nation at war
The Civil War began in April 1861, after Southern states that permitted slavery seceded, or declared that they had left the United States, and formed the Confederacy. The United States government, also called the Union, fought to preserve the nation. Slavery was at the center of the conflict: Confederate leaders sought to protect a system that forced millions of Black people to work without freedom or pay.
- preserve:
- To keep something from being lost or destroyed.
- rebellion:
- An organized fight against a government or its authority.
- preliminary:
- Coming before a final action or decision.
- designated:
- Officially identified or named for a particular purpose.
- authority:
- The power or right to make decisions or give orders.
- discrimination:
- Unfair treatment of people because they belong to a particular group.
- enforced:
- Made effective by ensuring that an order or law is obeyed.
- ratified:
- Officially approved.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did Lincoln initially hesitate to make ending slavery everywhere a stated goal of the war?
- 2How did enslaved people put pressure on slavery before the proclamation?
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About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“The Announcement That Changed the Civil War” is a explanatory article reading passage about The Emancipation Proclamation, written for Middle School. It takes about 6 minutes to read (862 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.