In 1861, the south's threats of seceding the union led to the start of the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln's primary goal was to minimize secession talks. But, as black slaves who were forced to fight for the confederacy escaped to union territory, a shift occurred that worked in the favor of the president. Slave owners in the south found themselves at a disadvantage during the war as their day-to-day operations were disrupted. President Lincoln capitalized on this new strain and created the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though the war wasn't about slavery, the strategic move to formally end slavery, led the union to victory.