Final Version of Emancipation Proclamation Issued

The Emancipation Proclamation was a pivotal executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Following the Union's strategic victory at Antietam, Lincoln sought to leverage this momentum to address the issue of slavery. The preliminary version of the proclamation was announced, setting the stage for a more definitive action. The final version, issued on January 1, 1863, declared the freedom of all slaves in ten states that were not under Union control. This proclamation did not apply to areas already under Union control, effectively exempting them from its immediate impact. The decision to free slaves in these states was a strategic move aimed at weakening the Confederacy, as it deprived them of labor and bolstered the Union's moral cause. The proclamation also allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers into the Union Army, further strengthening the Union's military capabilities. By the end of the Civil War, approximately 180,000 African American soldiers had served in the Union forces, contributing significantly to the Union's victory and the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.