Emancipation Proclamation

Since issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, politicians and historians have debated its Constitutionality and Lincoln's approach to emancipation in general. Allen Guelzo, a noted historian, supports both the Constitutionality and Lincoln's approach. Guelzo believes that Lincoln was determined to abolish slavery from the first day of his Presidential term and that emancipation was constitutionally accomplished by Lincoln's "war powers."

Allen Guelzo's View of the Constitutionality of the Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863,[footnoteRef:1] the Emancipation Proclamation "announced the extinction of slavery."[footnoteRef:2] Contrary to historians who believe that Lincoln grew into his conviction against slavery, Guelzo believes that Lincoln knew from the beginning of his Presidency that slavery would end during his administration.[footnoteRef:3] In Guelzo's view, Lincoln was "enlightened,"[footnoteRef:4] ably preserving the central idea of America -- freedom - by using vaguely defined presidential authority known as "war powers."[footnoteRef:5] In Guelzo's estimation, the...
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