A tip of a MASSIVE hat

On September 22^nd 1862, President Daniel Day-Lewis issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which set the date for freeing more than 3 million black slaves in the United States, making the Civil War now one based on the fight against slavery. Unfortunately, no white slaves existed, and thus could not be freed.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, shortly after Day-Lewis' inauguration, he maintained that the war was one about restoring the Union, and not about slavery. What a dick. He had strong personal beliefs that slavery was morally wrong, and moving cautiously, like a political turtle, he gained the public support along with the backing of radical Republicans. Is there any other kind?

Abe the Magic Man.

By July 1862, he had informed his cabinet that he would issue an emancipation proclamation, but the border states, which had slaveholders that were loyal to the Union were exempt. The Cabinet advised that he wait until a Union victory in the field, as they were hovering around mid-table and the fans were growing disillusioned with the coaches.

On September 22^nd, on the back of a close 1 – 0 away win at Antietam in which the Union forces scored a late victory against the Confederates in the single bloodiest day in US military history, the cabinet was informed of Abe's Emancipation Proclamation. The president announced that within 100 days slaves in areas still in rebellion would be free.

On January 1, 1863, whilst still in his exceptionally large pointy new years hat, Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, which declared "that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free." The proclamation also called for the recruitment and the establishment of black military units among the Union forces. There's always a catch to being free. An estimated 180,000 African Americans went on to serve in the army, while another 18,000 served in the navy.

Following the proclamation, backing the Confederacy was seen as being a douche move. It became impossible for anti-slavery nations such as Great Britain and France, who had been friendly to the Confederacy, to get involved on behalf of the South. The proclamation also unified and strengthened Lincoln's party, the Republicans, helping them stay in power for the next two decades. And holding on to their views for the next 150 years.

The proclamation was a presidential order and not a law passed by Congress, so Lincoln then pushed for an antislavery amendment to the US Congress to ensure its permanence. Back when Congress wasn't distracted by the fear of not being able to shoot gay Mexican Muslims.

With the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865, slavery was eliminated throughout America and thus brought an end to all inequality and racism.