While Abraham Lincoln believed slavery was morally wrong, he didn't initially want to free the enslaved people because he thought his constitutional authority as president only allowed him to challenge slavery in the context of war measures. He also worried about the reactions of border states where slavery was still legal, and he didn't want to risk losing their loyalty. Lincoln said, “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it“. However, Lincoln's views on slavery evolved. He believed that the founding fathers intended for slavery to end but didn't think they could do so overnight. He also believed that ending slavery, along with adding Black troops to the Union, could hurt the South's economy and war effort. On September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which marked a shift in his position. After the war, he believed that the 13th Amendment was necessary to change the Constitution and abolish slavery..
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