Why in the Emancipation Proclamation did Lincoln make exceptions to certain areas (I am not talking about the Border States that remained loyal and did not cede, but there were other areas also, like New Orleans, York, St.Bernard, St.Charles, and some others.)

See....why would these certain areas just be allowed to keep slavery and not be affected by the Proclamation? Need someone to explain this to me...

Thanks so much!!!

The so called Emancipation proclaimation was targeted only to those areas not under Federal jurisdiction. If slaves were in areas of Federal jurisdiction, they remained slaves. The reason for this proclaimation was not to free slaves, but to punish rebellious states for not coming back into the US.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, was a significant step towards the abolition of slavery in the United States. However, it did have certain exceptions to certain areas.

Firstly, it's important to note that the Proclamation itself was primarily a war measure. It was designed to weaken the Southern states that had seceded from the Union and were actively rebelling against the Federal government. The Proclamation declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territories would be considered free. However, it did not have any immediate effect on areas that were already under Union control or in the so-called border states that had remained loyal to the Union.

In regards to the specific areas you mentioned like New Orleans, York, St. Bernard, and St. Charles, these were parts of Louisiana which had already come under Union control and were not included in the Proclamation. One reason for this is that the Proclamation was based on presidential authority as Commander-in-Chief during wartime. Therefore, it only applied to areas that were actively rebelling against the Union and were not yet under Federal jurisdiction.

Essentially, the Proclamation targeted areas that were still in rebellion against the Union, as it was primarily a measure to weaken the Confederate states. The Proclamation did not have the power to instantly free all slaves in the entire country, as it was limited to specific areas where the Union forces did not yet have control. It's also worth noting that the Proclamation did not abolish slavery entirely; it legally freed the slaves in the Confederate-held territories and set the stage for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery throughout the entire United States.

In conclusion, the exceptions in the Emancipation Proclamation for certain areas were due to the limited jurisdiction of the Proclamation, which focused on territories under Confederate control and not under Federal jurisdiction at the time.