My core concern was this project was to ensure I had enough prior information to show the events that influenced the Emancipation Proclamation. I also wanted to ensure I provided enough information that reflected the impact of the Proclamation.
The first place I looked was Google, I wanted to gather the most basic facts first to guide me through the research. The most helpful resources for research were JSTOR and the Library of Congress's Abraham Lincoln Papers.
This project has been more challenging than I expected in several ways. I first had to focus my research question down to the analytic aspect of the Emancipation Proclamation. I had to find primary sources that were not just the document but also events that influenced or were in reaction to the Emancipaiton Proclamation. However looking for information regarding the Proclamation also took me away from my core question of analyzing how the Proclamation acted as a political measure.
I learned several vital skills from this prject. The first being effective researching skills. Using online databases and government websites to find reliable primary sources. I also learned that wording searches heavily influences results.