 Complete the following phrase:  But more strategically, George B. McClellans victory was just convincing enough that President Lincoln used it as justification for announcing his Emancipation Proclamation. He had been counseled by his cabinet to keep this action confidential until a Union battlefield victory could be announced, lest it appear to be an act of desperation. Along with its immense effect on American history and race relations, the Emancipation Proclamation effectively prevented the British Empire from recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate government. The British public had strong anti-slavery beliefs and would not have tolerated joining the pro-slavery side of a fight where slavery was now a prominent issue. This greatly diminished the Confederacys hopes of surviving a lengthy war against the Norths suffocating naval blockade. Support from France was still a possibility, but it never came to pass. Antietam and two other coincident failed actionsBraxton Braggs invasion of Kentucky sometimes called the high-water mark of the Confederacy in the Western Theater and Earl Van Dorns advance against 