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The Emancipation Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln is what has caused the confusion as to when slavery came to an end in the United States. It is commonly believed today, contrary to the historical evidence, that the North and South simply lined up and fought a four-year war to settle the issue of slavery, with Union soldiers fighting a grand crusade to end slavery and Confederate soldiers ready to die to keep their slaves.

In reality, the war was fought over the question of whether a state had a legal right to secede and leave the Union. Both Lincoln and Congress explicitly said early in the conflict that the war was not being fought to end slavery, but rather to keep the southern states from leaving the Union. When Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to enforce the tariff in the South, he did not call for an invasion to free any slaves. When Lincoln issued his call for volunteers, which did lead to the Civil War, more states where slavery was legal were still in the Union than were out.

So why do so many people — probably a majority — believe that the War was fought to end slavery?

> The Emancipation Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln is what has caused the confusion as to when slavery came to an end in the United States. It is commonly believed today, contrary to the historical evidence, that the North and South simply lined up and fought a four-year war to settle the issue of slavery, with Union soldiers fighting a grand crusade to end slavery and Confederate soldiers ready to die to keep their slaves. > In reality, the war was fought over the question of whether a state had a legal right to secede and leave the Union. Both Lincoln and Congress explicitly said early in the conflict that the war was not being fought to end slavery, but rather to keep the southern states from leaving the Union. When Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to enforce the tariff in the South, he did not call for an invasion to free any slaves. When Lincoln issued his call for volunteers, which did lead to the Civil War, more states where slavery was legal were still in the Union than were out. > So why do so many people — probably a majority — believe that the War was fought to end slavery?

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The Emancipation Proclamation was essentially war propaganda to prevent other countries from recognizing the CSA. It wasn't a legal executive order. If it were why was a constitutional amendment needed?