Existing comment:
The Road to Emancipation:
The capture of Harpers Ferry on September 15, 1862, remains a little-known, yet critical turning point in the Maryland Campaign. Although the influence of this Campaign on the Civil War is undeniable, few people recognize the role of Harpers Ferry in the ultimate Northern victory and Southern defeat. Because of the Southern focus on Harpers Ferry, the Union army discovered the information and gained the time necessary to turn back the Confederate invasion.
As a result, President Abraham Lincoln had the victory he needed to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and make the end of slavery and official goal of the war. Lincoln had said to Congress in January of 1862, "I cannot imagine that any European power would dare to recognize and aid the Southern Confederacy if it became clear that the Confederacy stands for slavery and Union for freedom."
Although the war lasted another two-and-a-half years, the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation prevented the Confederate cause from receiving the desperately needed assistance and recognition a foreign power could have provided. |