Emancipation Proclamation
1863-01-01Washington, D.C.high importance
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved people in states then in rebellion "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." While it did not immediately free all enslaved people, it fundamentally changed the character of the war from a fight to preserve the Union to a fight for human freedom.
Key Takeaways
1
Changed the war into a fight against slavery
2
Allowed Black men to serve in the Union Army
3
Led to the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery