The Emancipation Proclamation: A Well-Timed Power Move

Contrary to popular belief, Lincoln didn't come out swinging against slavery from day one of his presidency. He played it cool for the first couple of years, trying to keep the Union intact.

How about the famous Emancipation Proclamation? The key document that freed all slaves in the US? It was a strategic move, dropping only after the Union scored a battlefield win at Antietam. Timing was everything - he needed to look like a bold leader, not a desperate one. Especially as the big European powers (the British and the French) were watching the US Civil War, undecided which side to lean on.