What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a significant executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, and its primary purpose was to free the enslaved individuals in the Confederate states. By declaring that all slaves in the states that were in rebellion against the Union were to be set free, the proclamation aimed not only to provide a moral imperative for the war effort but also to undermine the economic foundations of the Confederacy, which relied heavily on slave labor.

This action transformed the Civil War from a fight for the Union into a battle for freedom, aligning the Union's military goals with a broader moral mission. While it did not immediately free all enslaved people—since it applied only to the states actively in rebellion and not to those in the Union or border states—it set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery throughout the entire nation with the passage of the 13th Amendment. Thus, understanding the Emancipation Proclamation is crucial in grasping the evolution of civil rights in the United States and the role it played in shaping the nation's history.