What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a significant executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. Its primary purpose was to declare the freedom of all enslaved people in the Confederate states that were in rebellion against the Union. By focusing specifically on the Southern states, the proclamation aimed to weaken the Confederacy's war effort, as it sought to undermine the labor force that supported the Confederate economy and military.

Although it did not free all enslaved individuals immediately—slavery continued in border states and areas of the South still under Union control—the Emancipation Proclamation transformed the character of the Civil War. It provided a moral imperative for fighting against slavery and allowed for the enlistment of Black soldiers into the Union Army, further strengthening the Union's position.

This context demonstrates the importance of the proclamation in both the immediate context of the Civil War and its long-term implications for civil rights in the United States. The other options do not accurately reflect the content or impact of the Emancipation Proclamation.