The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was
a document issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1862-1863 to free all slaves within the
Confederate states. It was made up of two parts. The first part, issued on September
22, 1862, was decree stating that unless the Confederate states returned to the
Union, by January 1, 1863, all slaves within
those states would be freed. None of the Confederate states accepted the offer.
The second part, issued on January 1, 1863, officially granted freedom to
slaves within the Confederate states. The Emancipation Proclamation did not
free all slaves within the United States,
as there were still boarder states included as part of the Union
that allowed slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation also allowed blacks to
fight for the Union, which supplied
desperately needed soldiers for the Union army.