Lincoln Preserves the Union

Although Abraham Lincoln didn't like slavery, was more focused on preserving the Union because he wanted to win the election. Preserving the Union would preserve the image of the United States being indivisible and shifting focus would help him gain and keep the supporters of the North he so desperately needed. In the South, it was believed if he was to be elected, Lincoln was going to jeopardize their ability to own slaves and would secede from America. So with that, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation which he had hoped would free the slaves in the South, but it did very little.