What was the Emancipation Proclamation, and when did it take effect?

• A. Lincoln's 1863 order declaring enslaved people in Confederate-held areas to be free
• B. It freed all enslaved people in the United States
• C. It ended the Civil War
• D. It established a constitutional amendment

Answer: (A)

The Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime order that changes the status of enslaved people in areas in rebellion. It was issued by President Lincoln in 1863 and took effect on January 1, 1863. It declared enslaved people in Confederate-held territories to be free, but it did not free those in the border states or in areas already under Union control. It also didn’t end the Civil War or establish a constitutional amendment. Instead, it reframed the conflict around abolition and laid the groundwork for the eventual abolition of slavery nationwide with the 13th Amendment, while also enabling Black soldiers to join the Union Army.