In this lesson, 8th graders look at how slavery contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War, at Abraham Lincoln's efforts to save the Union, and at what impact the Emancipation Proclamation had on the North's view of the war. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on perceptions of slavery, a speech and letters by Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 13th Amendment. Student resources are included in the lesson.