The proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln that declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate-held territory was the Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863. This significant executive order announced that all enslaved people in states or regions in rebellion against the Union would be set free. While it did not immediately free all slaves, it was a crucial turning point in the American Civil War, as it transformed the conflict into a fight not only for the Union but also for human freedom. The proclamation also allowed for the enlistment of Black soldiers in the Union Army, bolstering its numbers and morale, and contributing further to the end of slavery in the United States.