. Abraham Lincoln issued this in the 1860s. Many historians pointed out many reasons why it was needed to be written.
1. The first answer to the question is to have something that can have a crippling effect on the effort of the Southern states during the war. This was one of the main reasons. Those who had written it wanted to lessen the edge of the Southern troops in the ongoing war back then. The Lincoln troops were lesser than the soldiers in the South.
2. The second answer to the question is because the slaves had a major role in the war. They were the people responsible for readying the soldiers' uniforms and ammunition. They also were the ones who rebuilt the infrastructures that got damaged because of the war. Most of the staffs of hospitals back then were slaves as well. The document would mean that it would leave the Southern force with lesser people to help them.
3. The third answer to the question is to gain support from other countries. One of the reasons for drafting this important document is for a political reason. Most of the European countries supported the Southern force because of their goal to gain independence. The United Kingdom also supported them because the relationship between the American government and United Kingdom got a strain because of the Trent event. Abraham Lincoln wanted to still keep the union intact. The document was something many European countries respected because they also believed that no man should be a slave to anyone. They were not able to ignore this humane and fair decree.
4. The fourth answer to the question is to give slaves their freedom. President Abraham Lincoln was always vocal of his negative views on slavery even years before the emancipation was proclaimed. He already drafted a document aiming to end slavery in all the states but this was not pushed through because many states did not cooperate. This is the most important answer to the question.
5. The fifth answer to the question is for the slaves to get fully assimilated to the society. The emancipation document became the first and most important step in providing the legal rights to the slaves.