What is the amancipation proclamtion?

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. It declared the freedom of all enslaved people in the Confederate states that were in rebellion against the Union, while allowing for the possibility of slavery to continue in border states loyal to the Union. Although it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it was a significant step toward the abolition of slavery and changed the character of the war by adding a moral imperative to the Union's fight. The Proclamation also paved the way for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.