Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in states in open rebellion with the Federal Government of the United States. According to Lincoln, this was a measure of "military necessity." States would be found in open rebellion if they did not have an elected representative in Congress on January 1 following the speech. The states that had chosen to secede would fall under this category. Slaves held by individuals in Border States or areas where the President sought to retain political support would not be freed by the proclamation. Through this statement it becomes clear that Lincoln saw value in the addition of ex-slaves to his military force. Freed slaves were not only encouraged to pursue fair employment opportunities, but were informed that they would be openly recieved by the Government's armed services. This document would come at the turning point of the war and would be met by criticism from many fronts.
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