GRADO EN ESTUDIOS INGLESES

2017-2018

MUNDOS ANGLOFONOS EN PERSPECTIVA HISTÓRICA Y CULTURAL

SEGUNDA PRUEBA DE EVALUACIÓN CONTINUA

EVELYN RIVAS URBINA

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION 1863

Historical aproach

This document is a proclamation that Abraham Lincols did and, even though it had a
big impact in historical an political aspect, it can be consdered a legal document. We
can consider this because it presents the structure of a normative text that has not a
continuity and it has a complex and specialized language too. That is why it is
believed that the text is primarily aimed to the political members and the goverment
of the United States, although the norms are adressed to all the citizens. Nevertheless,
the text is plenty of references that try to range political objectives and alliances, some
of which involves to citizens and slaves.

The text was not realesed on an especific moment because it is formed by two acts
presented on two differents dates, on September 22th 1962 and January 1th 1963. The
first part was a statement of what would be coordinated in the secon part. The first act
was announced in a period of intense meetings with his cabinet to evaluate the
possibilities to finish with the war at the earliest moment. Some of these mitical
strategies looked for the surrender of the Confederate States through differents threats,
and this document was one of them. Many historians thought that Lincoln decided to
stablish a trial period to evaluate the reaction of the different groups affected due to
the importance and the controversy that generated the slavery topic. By contrast, the
second act was signed one hundred days after the first and it was an executive act
against the Confederate States and was proclamated after they did not surrender.

But it is important to explain some aspects of Lincoln´s life, his presidency and the
secession war to understand the political and historical context.

On February 1809 Lincoln was born, in the state of Kentucky. His life has always
generated a big number of speculations due to his reserved and mysterious character
accentuacting some aspects such as his education, since he dint go to school, his
sexuality or religion, he never went to church insted of the fact that he grew up in a
religious family. He worked as a lawyer and a captain of the army, proffesions that
helped him later in his politicak life. He belonged to the Whigh party, that emerged
during the 19th century but it was soon disolved. Abraham Lincoln became the leader
of the party and was selected to the Illinois House of the Representatives and the
United States House of Representatives. In 1854 he became a member of the newly
Republican Party, presenting to the Vicepresidency in 1956 and to the presindecy in
1960.

Many historians say that Lincoln was a great planner and great communicator, and
these abilities allowed him to achieve big successes in spite of the law initial options,
as example we have the fact of the presidential campaign where Lincoln overtook the
rest of candidates of both parties, despite of the fact that he was considered the least
prepared candidate and with less options in the beggining of his campaing.
Nevertheless, his fame and abilities also attracted some problems. As a matter of fact,
it is though that his election was the reason of the secession wat, because his fame and
abolitionist policy led to take extreme measures in slaver satetes such as independence
or even an attempt to kill him.
Eventhough the issue of slavery has been stablished as the trigger of war, there also
had been a large of number of political, social and cultural factors that distances the
north and south which led the war enviroment and allowed to the independence of
southern states. In general, it is said that there were two differents parts, the much
more industrialized, modern and cosmopolitan that was the nort which supported on
salaried labor and therefore could be developed without slaves, while the oder part,
the southern states were more rural and traditional, so they needed slaves to work on
their cotton fields.

However, although the issue of slavery was a subject of great importance at that
moment, which even elipsed the religion, it could be generalized as a fight for power
independence, in which each state wanted to creat its own regulation without
intervention of Washington. Also, it is important to point that a great part of the
population that fought for the Confederate States were poor and they couldn´t afford
the pursaches of slaves. Eventhough, the Confederates obtained big victories at the
beggining of the war, and the reason of the victories was the determination of the
troops. This braveness was due to the possibility to take their own decisions
regardless of what other states do, not only for maintaining the slavery.

Lastly, it is important to point that the secession war is seen as a not balanced and a
fair fight because thirty four states fought against eleven states. This is why Lincoln
used a fatigue strategy and not an open confrontation, blocking ther supply ways and
using attack fronts that produced a debilitation in the southern states. But, although
the war was an important issue to Lincoln, his main concern was to maintain the
political union of the remain states, that is why is considered that the northern states
saw themselves superior in this contest.

Cultural approach

Once the historicals aspects have been established, the motivations and consequences
can be explained clearly. In fact, each paragraph of the text has a specific purpose,
although the consequences aren´t clear at first sight.

The first two paragraphs are part from the first presidential act, while the rest of the
document is part from the second act. The first act is used as a caution to the
independent states and that is why the text will be developed and the action will be
executed on January 1th.

The first paragraph is a recap of all the actions used to avoid the legal framework in
favour of the policy of Lincoln. The laws were ambiguous at that moment that the
constitution itself was developed in two sections that legitimized slavery and sections
in which it was considered its prohibition. For this reasons, Lincoln coudn´t ban the
abolition of slavery without believing that the court could declare it as a non
legitimate law. On the other hand, the liberation of slaves as a mesure of war woukd
affected to the rebel states. Another important thing is that amid the union states were
pro slavery states, which could be members of Confederation if they required to
abolish slavery.