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Lesson

Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation

Guiding question

Did President Abraham Lincoln have the constitutional power to free the slaves in the Confederacy?

Duration
50 min
Published
Jun 21, 2021
Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation
Presidents Buchanan, Lincoln, and Johnson believed that the Constitution protected the institution of slavery. Lincoln came to the conclusion that, in order to preserve the Constitution and the Union it created, he must apply a new understanding of the principles on which the nation was built. The time had come to bring the nation’s policies in line with the of the Declaration of Independence that “…all men are created equal…” In this lesson, students will analyze Abraham Lincoln’s views on slavery and the Constitution as evidenced in the Emancipation Proclamation.

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Trace the development of Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation
  • Analyze the Proclamation’s significance as a turning point in the development of the nation.
  • Evaluate Lincoln’s understanding of the Emancipation y Proclamation as “an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity.”

Materials

• Handout A: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
• Handout B: Setting the Scene

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
ActivityHandout B: Setting the Scene (Emancipation Proclamation)
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Lesson plan

50 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, students complete Constitutional Connection: Slavery and the Constitution.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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