What action did the Emancipation Proclamation take?

The Emancipation Proclamation specifically declared the freedom of all enslaved people in the Confederate states as a wartime measure during the American Civil War. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, it was aimed at undermining the Confederacy's ability to sustain the war by freeing their labor force. This action did not apply to enslaved individuals in border states or areas of the South that were already under Union control, which is why the focus was strictly on the states in rebellion against the Union.

This proclamation marked a significant turning point in the war, adding a moral imperative to the Union's cause and paving the way for the eventual passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery nationwide. However, the Emancipation Proclamation itself did not end the Civil War, provide land to freedmen, or abolish slavery throughout the entire country at the time of its announcement. Its primary purpose was to liberate enslaved people in the Confederacy, aligning military strategy with a broader humanitarian goal, thereby changing the nature of the conflict.