Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, to free enslaved people in Confederate states.

This landmark document declared that all slaves in territories rebelling against the Union were to be set free. While it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it marked a crucial turning point in the Civil War by redefining the conflict as a fight against slavery. The Proclamation also aimed to weaken the Confederacy’s economy and encouraged enslaved people to escape or join the Union Army, further bolstering the Union's efforts.