Lincoln didnt free the slaves, he issued the emancipation proclamation to the south to free them, but at the time the south secceeded from the north, the south had its own president...his speech had no effect on southern slave policies.

Although it did give the slaves motivation in the south to run away to the north, join the army, and fight the south.

But technically Lincoln never freed the slaves, he issued a speech saying theyre free but his speech wasnt listened by the south because he wasnt their president at the time, he did the emancipation proclamation as a war tactic to get more slaves from the south to join the union army so the north would have more people and beat the south.

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