Lincoln's Gamble: The Tumultuous Six Months that Gave America the Emancipation

[L Verge]

IMO, at some point shortly before signing the Proclamation, Mr. Lincoln had to have doubts about what he was doing. Signing that edict changed the purpose of the war for both Union folks (who had signed on to save the country, not free the slaves) and Confederates (who now realized that it was full scale war against their way of life).

The border states had been told they could keep their slaves or be compensated for freeing them. The door was left open to this, but those in the know had to realize that that was not going to hold true. I'm sure even the abolitionists and the free men of color who were following the situation had to question how Lincoln was going to make this happen. Surely Mr. Lincoln had to question his own actions at some point before he "bit the bullet" and dipped his pen in ink.