that if they would lay down their arms and submit to the laws of the United States before the first of January, 1863, all should be well; but if they did not, then all the slaves in the Rebel States should be free henceforth and forever.
We are taught in elementary/ high school that Lincoln is a heroic figure that freed slaves because it is morally right. However, many don't realize it was a strategic tool to get the Rebellious states to surrender. This statement shows that the freedom of those enslaved wasn't the sole priority.