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Primary sourceDocument22 September 1862

Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (Manuscript Draft)

Abraham Lincoln · 22 September 1862

Lincoln's handwritten September 1862 draft proclamation, issued after the Battle of Antietam, warning that slaves in rebel states would be freed.

Lincoln's own draft showing the staged, deliberate path toward the Emancipation Proclamation.

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Handwritten manuscript page on aged, yellowed paper with cursive text beginning 'I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy thereof...' with an inscription at top reading 'By the President of the United States of America' and handwritten edits and marginal notes.
Abraham Lincoln, draft of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, 22 September 1862. New York State Library.

About this source

What it is

This is Lincoln's handwritten draft of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, issued on September 22, 1862. It is held today by the New York State Library.

Why it matters

Coming just after the Union victory at Antietam, this document shows Lincoln moving step by step toward ending slavery, timing the decision for both military and political reasons rather than announcing it all at once.

Look closer

  • What do the handwritten edits and marginal notes tell you about how carefully Lincoln chose his words?
  • Why might Lincoln have waited for a military victory before issuing this?
  • What does the formal opening phrase tell you about Lincoln's role and authority?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Abraham Lincoln on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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