The importance of the Emancipation Proclamation during the American Civil War lies in its role as a critical turning point in the conflict. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it declared the freedom of enslaved individuals in Confederate territories. This executive order altered the war's focus, turning it into a struggle for freedom and human rights. Beyond its immediate effects, the Proclamation also allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers in the Union Army and laid the groundwork for the eventual abolition of slavery in America.