When the war was about states rights, the south was winning. When the war was made about a man’s rights, the north began winning. After the Emancipation Proclamation, the north gained the moral high ground. Frederick Douglas was correct about that, and if Abraham Lincoln didn’t listen to him, the north would have lost.
“After the Emancipation Proclamation, the north gained the moral high ground.”
The CSA had slaves. The USA had slaves too.
The CSA Constitution included protection of slavery. The USA Constitution included protection of slavery too.
The presidents of both the CSA and the USA took oaths to protect and defend their pro-slavery constitutions.
After the Emancipation Proclamation, one of those presidents added a slave state to his nation. Do you know which one?
To be fair, the real turning point was Antietam. True, the battle was merely a draw, but it was enough to allow Abe to issue the EM.
More importantly, that battle kept France from declaring support for the CSA. Otherwise, France could have broken the Union Blockade, and the war would have ended differently.
Oh yeah Emancipation and the North's version of the Conscription Act went over like fart in Sunday church service. NYC riots to follow..
The ultimate bait and switch, preserve the union became free the black man and oh by the way you are all now conscripts. I would say that all of that was wildly unpopular everywhere.
That's poetic but wrong. When the *FOUR TIMES BIGGER* Union kept grinding down the much smaller Southern forces, they began winning.
...and if Abraham Lincoln didn’t listen to him, the north would have lost.
No they wouldn't have. They had four-five times the population to call upon for soldiers, and if they were willing to murder enough people defending their homeland, they were going to win no matter what.