What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, and its primary purpose was to declare the freedom of all enslaved people in the states that were in rebellion against the Union. This executive order aimed specifically at the Confederate states, stating that all slaves within those territories were to be set free. This action did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, as it was contingent on Union military success, but it symbolized a crucial turning point in the fight against slavery and set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery throughout the United States.

This proclamation was also significant as it reframed the Civil War as a struggle not just for the Union but also for freedom. Although it did not end the Civil War directly or define civil rights comprehensively, it laid the groundwork for further legal actions toward emancipation and ultimately led to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States.