What did the Emancipation Proclamation do, and how did it alter the Civil War? Be sure to include the status of African Americans and the slavery issue in the North and the South. You can include material from both texts that we have studied this semester along with any handouts.
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The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states were to be set free, fundamentally changing the Civil War's purpose from mere preservation of the Union to a fight for freedom. Although it did not affect slavery in the Border States or areas under Union control, it shifted the war’s narrative, inspiring abolitionist support and transforming African Americans from mere spectators to active participants, with many joining the Union Army. In the North, the proclamation garnered varied reactions; some embraced it as a moral crusade, while others, particularly war-weary citizens, questioned its impact on the economy and social order. Conversely, in the South, it intensified resistance, as Confederate leaders clung to the institution of slavery. This pivotal decree not only elevated the fight against slavery to a central war aim but also set the stage for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, leading to the formal abolition of slavery.