Emancipation Proclamation
Point of View (POV) Study Guide:
(for use with United States History: Independence to 1914, Holt)
Daily Life during the War Chapter 15, Section 4 (pages 491 – 496)
Read the following directions and complete the activity that follows.
You are about to interviewed as is if you were a number of different people or groups
who lived in the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865). Each of the individuals
or groups will be responding to some question or issue in connection to the
Emancipation Proclamation which was issued on January 1, 1863.
As the various people individuals or groups mentioned, describe your reactions to each
of the questions or issued discussed below. Number 1a is already completed so you
will have an idea of how you might respond.
Key Terms
Emancipation, Emancipation Proclamation, contrabands, 54th Massachusetts Infantry
-----------------1. Read the text under “Emancipation Proclamation” – page 491 As Lincoln - Why is freeing the slaves a difficult issue for you?
“Even though I dislike slavery, as President I’m not sure I have the power to
actually set all the slaves free. It’s not clear to me what the Constitution says
about whether or not I have this power.”
2. Read the text under the red title Lincoln Issues the Proclamation on page 491 .
As an individual from each of the following groups – What is your position on the
emancipation of slaves?
(a) As a member of the Democratic Party:
“_________________________________________________________________
__
”
(b) As an abolitionists:
“_________________________________________________________________
__
”
(c) As a member of the Republican Party worried about Lincoln’s re-election:
OUSD 8th grade U.S. History Assessment Support Material / Spring, 2012 / page #1
“_________________________________________________________________
__
”
(d) As Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton:
“_________________________________________________________________
__
”
3. Read the first column of text on page 492.
As a slave living in a “border” state – What is your response to the Emancipation
Proclamation? Explain your response.
“_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________”
4. Read Reaction to the Proclamation, page 492.
As an African American – On New Year’s Day, January 1, 1863, what are your thoughts
about the Emancipation Proclamation’s possible impact on the nation?
“_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Read African-Americans Participate in the War, page 493.
(a) As a contraband, what might you include in a diary entry during the summer of 1862.
“_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________”
(b) As a member of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (6 months after the Emancipation
Proclamation), what might you include in a diary entry in July 1863?
“_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________”
(c) As an African American soldier, 1864 what might you say to one of your fellow soldiers
about your paycheck
“_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________”
OUSD 8th grade U.S. History Assessment Support Material / Spring, 2012 / page #2