Entering Into the 21st Century, 1980–Present

Emphasis on a strict interpretation of the Constitution

Advocacy for a strong federal banking system

Support for high protective tariffs to foster industry

Expanded suffrage for white men without property restrictions

To immediately encourage widespread American settlement west of the Mississippi River.

To support French financial needs in anticipation of a British war with France.

To demonstrate American military strength to European powers.

To secure American control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans for trade.

To prioritize Native American relationships over territorial acquisition efforts.

To promote a belief that American expansion was divinely sanctioned and inevitable.

To resolve ongoing border disputes through peaceful territorial negotiations alone.

To secure political support from Northern industrialists seeking new markets.

Pig

Horse

Cattle

Sheep

GI Bill

Prohibition

New Deal

Manifest Destiny

World War II

Korean War

Spanish-American War

American Revolutionary War

Machine guns

Radar technology

Atomic Bomb

Submarine warfare

State economies would likely thrive independently, leading to greater regional self-sufficiency.

The absence of national debt would encourage foreign investment directly into individual states.

Federal taxes could be lowered substantially as there would be fewer financial obligations at the national level.

The United States might have struggled with diminished creditworthiness internationally due to perceived fiscal instability.

Merchants should have greater representation in Parliament due to their economic contribution.

The Navigation Acts should be reformed rather than completely abolished for fairer trade practices.

Monarchical rule is illegitimate, and republicanism is a superior form of government.

Colonies need stronger military alliances with European powers other than Britain.

Though it declared freedom for all persons held in bondage, actually enforcing the edict depended upon Union victory and the success of military campaigns. A significant portion of territory still lay beyond the reach of Union forces at the time of the proclamation's issuance.

Recognition of the practical limitations regarding enforcement suggests that the proclamation was more of a tool for leverage against the Confederacy and a wartime gesture rather than a comprehensive plan to eradicate slavery throughout the whole nation.

Lincoln's primary goal of preserving the Union meant that he hesitated to interfere directly with institutionally embedded systems like those existing in loyal slaveholding states, suggesting a reluctance to fully commit to the abolition cause.

The fact that it only applied to rebelling states and left border state slavery intact is seen as limiting the overall impact of the proclamation in freeing slaves. This is why some scholars deem it as limited.