Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln's Call for Freedom

Q: What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 1 January 1863 that declared the freedom of 3.5 million enslaved people living in the rebellious Confederate States

Q: What are some misconceptions about the Emancipation Proclamation?

A common misconception about the Emancipation Proclamation is that it freed all the slaves throughout the US. Instead, it only freed the slaves in ten of the eleven Confederate States, in areas not controlled by the Union.

Q: What were the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation redefined the Civil War, turning slavery into a key part of why it was being fought. It discouraged European powers from supporting the Confederacy, led 200,000 African Americans to enlist in Union armies, and was a major stepping stone toward the Thirteenth Amendment and the abolition of slavery in the US.

Harrison W. Mark

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's Call for Freedom

Definition

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by US President Abraham Lincoln on 1 January 1863, at the height of the American Civil War (1861-1865). It proclaimed that "all persons held in bondage" within the rebellious Confederate States "are, and henceforward, shall be free." The Proclamation legally freed 3.5 million people enslaved across ten Southern states; however, since the US federal government had no control over these states at the time, it did not have much of an immediate impact on their lives. Nor did it free the hundreds of thousands of people who were still enslaved in states loyal to the Union.

More about: Emancipation Proclamation

Timeline

17 Sep 1862
The Battle of Antietam (also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg) is fought during the American Civil War near Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek, Maryland, regarded as the "bloodiest single day in American history" with a casualty count of 23,000 in twelve hours of combat. The Union victory allowed President Lincoln to issue the first version of the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in Confederate states.
1 Jan 1863
President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves held in the Confederate States of America.

Timeline Search

Search through the entire ancient history timeline. Specify between which dates you want to search, and what keywords you are looking for.

Remove Ads