The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, was a pivotal moment in U.S. history as it declared the freedom of all enslaved persons in states that were in rebellion against the Union. While it did not immediately free all slaves, it fundamentally transformed the Civil War into a struggle for freedom. The Proclamation also allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers in the Union Army, increasing its manpower. This executive order signified a moral commitment to end slavery and laid the groundwork for the eventual adoption of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.