Then why did the Union only free the slaves in the

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Then why did the Union only free the slaves in the Confederacy during the war?

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Very simply, Lincoln did not want to piss off the border states. The loss of Kentucky and Maryland would have spelled doom for the Union cause.

More than a few took a dim view of the Emancipation Proclamation and thought it to be weak and meaningless since it only freed slaves in the rebellious states. However, this seemingly weak document kept Russia, France, and most importantly, England on the sidelines and left the Confederates to fend for themselves. Although the rulers of these European powers would have loved to have stepped in on the side of the South, the populations they ruled would not have stood for their country going to the aid of the South and putting the slaves "back in chains".

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Don't kid your self. Study a bit more with regards to the greatest abomination in our country's history.

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I'll read at least three books this year and maybe five or six on the subject. I began reading about the Civil War at age 11 and since then I have probably read at least 500 books on that conflict. One I would recommend for you is Bruce Catton's "Two Roads to Sumter". It is about Lincoln and Davis and how they dealt with causes of the Civil War.

An interesting factoid,

When Lincoln died one of the things he had on his person was a Confederate five dollar bill. He probably picked it up when he was visiting Richmond. And while in Richmond he visited LaSalle Corbell "Sallie" Pickett the wife of George Pickett of Pickett's Charge fame. Before the war, Lincoln helped get Pickett into West Point and Pickett and Lincoln always held each other in high esteem and affection. In fact, Pickett would not tolerate bad things being said about Lincoln in his presence. It was a strange war!