The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln had a monumental impact on slavery in the United States. Although it did not immediately free all enslaved people, it declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be set free. This strategic war measure aimed to weaken the Confederacy’s economy and was a turning point in the Civil War, transforming the fight for Union into a moral battle against slavery. The proclamation also paved the way for the enlistment of African American soldiers into the Union Army, further demonstrating that the war was about liberation and human rights, ultimately contributing to the abolition of slavery.