How did the Emancipation Proclamation cause a change in the goal of the war?

It became a morally driven war from the North towards the south, post emancipation the freed slaves took arms and fought for the north. This enhanced the Norths manpower whilst depleting the Souths slave-based workforce/economy.

The Emancipation Proclamation extended the scope and purpose of the US Civil War beyond preservation of the Union to encompass wider moral, social and ethical considerations involving abolition of slavery.

The emancipation proclaimation shifted the primary goal of the war from maintaining the Union to abolition of slavery throughout the Union.

The Emancipation Proclamation altered the goals of the American Civil War. Initially, the Civil War had been a response to the secession, breaking away of the Confederate States, and was an attempt to bring about reunification. However, as the war developed so did Lincoln's aims. The war that was started over the debate over slavery was changed when Lincoln Emancipated the slaves. Thus their was a new moral and military drive to the war. Now the United States had a much wider support base and men to fight as soldiers after the Emancipation. This change meant one term of victory would be the ratifying of the Emancipation and official abolishment of slavery.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, was a pivotal moment in the American Civil War, causing a significant shift in the goals of the conflict. Initially, the primary goal of the Union was to preserve the United States and maintain the Union's integrity. However, the Emancipation Proclamation reframed the war’s objectives, marking a transition from merely restoring the Union to a war for abolishing slavery. Here’s how it changed the goal of the war:

1. Shift from Union Preservation to Abolition of Slavery

Before the Emancipation Proclamation, the Union's main goal was the preservation of the United States, even if it meant allowing slavery to continue in the South. While Lincoln personally opposed slavery, he focused on preventing its spread to new territories and states, in accordance with his 1860 campaign platform. However, the Emancipation Proclamation shifted the war’s purpose to actively abolishing slavery in the Confederate states. By declaring the slaves in the rebellious Southern states "forever free," it made the abolition of slavery a central war aim.

2. Moral and Ideological Shift

The Proclamation transformed the war into a moral crusade against slavery, giving the Union cause a moral clarity that was both a rallying point for the North and a blow to the legitimacy of the Confederacy. It helped frame the war as a struggle for human freedom, which resonated with abolitionists, African Americans, and many in the international community. This shift helped gain broader public support for the Union’s cause, particularly in the abolitionist movement, which had been pushing for the end of slavery for decades.

3. Impact on International Support

One of the key consequences of the Emancipation Proclamation was that it made it politically difficult for European powers like Britain and France to intervene on behalf of the Confederacy. Both nations had abolished slavery and were under significant pressure from anti-slavery movements. With the Union now positioned as the force fighting to end slavery, it would have been highly controversial for European countries to support the Confederacy, which sought to preserve the institution of slavery.

4. Encouraging African American Involvement

The Emancipation Proclamation also allowed African Americans to join the Union Army. Lincoln's order authorized the recruitment of African American soldiers, which significantly bolstered the Union’s military strength. By the end of the war, nearly 200,000 African American soldiers had served in the Union Army and Navy, making their participation a key factor in the Union’s eventual victory.

5. Strategic Military Impact

Though the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved people (as it applied only to Confederate-held territories and not the border states or Union-controlled areas), it was a strategic military move. By freeing enslaved people in the South, it weakened the Confederacy's economy, which was heavily reliant on slave labor, particularly in agriculture. The proclamation also disrupted the South’s ability to supply its army with necessary resources, as slaves were no longer available to work on plantations or build fortifications.

6. Reinforcement of the North’s War Objectives

While the Union initially fought to restore the country, after the Proclamation, the war’s objective was clearly tied to the abolition of slavery. This not only defined the North’s military strategy but also provided the Union with a clear moral justification for its cause. It united abolitionists, former enslaved people, and many Northern citizens under a single goal, whereas earlier war aims were less focused on moral imperatives.

In summary, the Emancipation Proclamation dramatically shifted the goals of the Civil War from simply preserving the Union to actively fighting for the abolition of slavery. It redefined the war’s moral and political landscape, garnered support for the Union both domestically and internationally, and had lasting consequences on the military, political, and social fabric of the nation.